The Diamondbacks designated Pavin Smith for assignment on July 9, 2026, ending his current run on the active roster and clearing a spot for Ryan Waldschmidt. The move leaves Arizona with five days to trade Smith or put him on waivers.
Smith's removal comes after a season that never got back on track. He returned from mid-April surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow and hit.141 with one home run in 28 games, far from the player Arizona took with the No. 7 overall pick in 2017. Since his first full big league season in 2021, he has not topped 11 home runs or 27 doubles in a year, and his 2025 line of.258/.362/.434 had already shown more of a steady role player than a middle-of-the-order bat.
That is why the Diamondbacks are betting on Waldschmidt now. He is Arizona's top prospect, but his first look in the majors was uneven, with contact issues that made him look overmatched at times. Even so, he has hit well against Triple-A arms and was on a good run after being optioned in mid-June, which helps explain why the club is bringing him back to play regularly rather than in a limited role.
The decision also reflects how badly Arizona has struggled at first base. Diamondbacks first basemen entered the move with a.210/.253/.303 slash line over 366 plate appearances, and Smith had been used as part of the strong side of a platoon after Josh Naylor was traded. With the position producing almost nothing, the club chose upside over patience. Waldschmidt's recall may solve the short-term roster problem, but it also signals that Smith's near-decade in the organization could be ending after a salary that still leaves about $950,000 unpaid.
What happens over the next five days will decide whether Smith is dealt, claimed or outrighted. However it ends, Arizona has made its choice: the next at-bats at first base belong to someone else.
