The Mets could use Matt Dominguez

In order to make room on the 40-man roster for mega-prospect shortstop Carlos Correa, the Astros have designated third baseman Matt Dominguez for assignment. Dominguez, 25, was the team’s everyday third baseman in 2013 and 2014. His best season came in 2013, when he hit .241/.286/.403 with 21 home runs. He was considered to be a part of the Astros’ core and nearly agreed to a multi-year extension with the team.

Since then, however, he has fallen on tough times. Last year, Dominguez hit just .215/.256/.330 with 16 home runs. He lost his major league starting job in spring training and has been in Triple-A all season, where he has hit .251/.289/.371 with four home runs in 45 games.

Now that he is available, Dominguez represents an interesting trade possibility for the Mets. He plays third base, a position that is now an area of need with David Wright and Daniel Murphy out of the lineup. The Mets have used four different players at third since David Wright was placed on the disabled list in April.

Dominguez is just 25 years old and only two seasons removed from the promise he showed in 2013. Because he has spent the entire year in the minors, he would likely come at a relatively small price in a trade. This may represent the best chance the Mets have to improve on offense without sacrificing a top pitching prospect or taking on a large salary.

Attempting to catch lightning in a bottle with somebody like Dominguez might not be a terrible course of action for the Mets, who are in need of offensive help and an everyday third baseman. Dominguez is a player that has shown flashes of potential in the past and has plenty of time to regain his previous form. While he is far from an ideal option as far as everyday third baseman go, he represents a better option than Eric Campbell.