SAN DIEGO — The Mets’ overhaul has begun.
Lucas Duda, the longest-tenured active player with the team, was traded Thursday to the Rays for minor league reliever Drew Smith, a fireballer with back-end of the bullpen potential. Smith has been assigned to Double-A Binghamton.
“I was very proud to be a New York Met and I’m going to be very proud to be a Tampa Bay Ray,” said Duda, who bid farewell to teammates in the visitors’ clubhouse at Petco Park before the Mets faced the Padres.
“I am very blessed to be in the position, I am — the New York Mets are a first-class organization from top to bottom and I thank them for everything they did for me and I am excited to join the Rays. They are in the hunt and I think [it’s] just overall excitement.”
Duda, who made his debut with the Mets in 2010, was set to become a free agent after this season. Club officials appear comfortable enough with Dominic Smith’s progress at Triple-A Las Vegas to make him the first baseman.
In the short term, until Smith is promoted, the Mets will use a committee at first base that includes Jay Bruce, Wilmer Flores and possibly Neil Walker, who is expected to join the club Friday in Seattle.
The Mets are close to promoting top prospect Amed Rosario and Dominic Smith and want to remove any tension pertaining to playing time. So that pushed club officials toward dealing Duda, and likely will mean trading Asdrubal Cabrera in the coming days.
The Post first reported earlier this week that Tampa Bay had interest in both Duda and Addison Reed. The latter remains available as the Mets’ biggest trade chip heading to Monday’s non-waiver trade deadline. Cabrera, Bruce and Curtis Granderson are among the other Mets available.
Duda is owed about $2.8 million the rest of the season, and the Rays will assume the entire amount. The Rays, as a way to work around giving out huge salaries, try to use multiple pieces to address issues. Duda has a .913 OPS against righty pitching, so his role with Tampa Bay likely will be to DH against righties, since lefty-swinging Logan Morrison already is the first baseman. In that scenario, Corey Dickerson would have to move from DH to the outfield more frequently.
Drew Smith pitched at three levels, including Triple-A, for the Rays this season. He has a combined 1.60 ERA in 31 appearances. Several teams recently asked for the 23-year-old, whose fastball reaches 98 mph, in trade talks.
Duda’s best season with the Mets came in 2014, when he slugged 30 homers and drove in 92 runs. He also helped lead the Mets to the NL pennant in 2015, but is remembered for his errant throw in the ninth inning in Game 5 of the World Series that allowed the Royals to tie the game. The Mets never recovered and watched Kansas City celebrate a world championship.
“A lot of ups and downs, but probably more ups than downs,” Duda said, referring to his Mets tenure. “The fans obviously are unbelievable, the guys in the clubhouse are second to none, our staff, our front office is first class from top to bottom. I am very thankful to be in the position I am.”
Manager Terry Collins praised Duda for his professionalism.
“He’s been a tremendous part of this team for a long time and we wish him all the best and thank him for everything he’s done in New York,” Collins said. “He was very responsible for our success in 2015 and 2016 and we wish him all the best.”