When a player is designated for assignment, there are a handful of potential outcomes. Some involve a player returning to the organization with which they just cut ties. This is one of those outcomes.Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman and DH Pavin Smith, who — much to the dismay of fans — had struggled all season will be sticking with the organization, after all. Pavin Smith staying with Diamondbacks organizationArizona Diamondbacks first baseman Pavin Smith (26) during spring training workouts at Salt River Fields on Feb. 16, 2026, in Scottsdale. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectSmith was designated for assignment in a late-night move on July 10, which subjects him to waivers. 29 MLB teams passed on putting in a claim for Smith, and no trade deal was reached in the five-day window following a DFA. And according to the Diamondbacks' transaction logs, Smith was sent outright to the Reno Aces on Wednesday, allowing him to remain with the organization that both drafted and DFA'd him. The outcome was optional. Smith could have rejected the outright assignment to test his free agency luck and explore other opportunities. But instead, he'll head to Reno, at least for the time being. It's no secret that Smith's numbers were the worst of his career in the major leagues this season. He battled an elbow injury, but as the sample size began to expand beyond reasonable allowances, it was clear the swing was not improving to the production point Arizona needed from its lackluster first base position. Smith slashed .141/.236/.192 for a .428 OPS and just one home run in the majors this year; the quality of both his at-bats and batted-ball contact did not offer hope that those numbers were a product of poor luck. The decision, as tough as it may have been for the D-backs, had to be made. Reno, however is one place Smith has never struggled. In various parts of five seasons, Smith never posted an OPS below .820 in Triple-A. That number climbed as high as .934 in 2023 and .997 in 2024 over the course of 62 games apiece, as well. And at times, Smith was an excellent platoon-hitting left-handed bat for the major league club, as easy as that may be to forget. He produced a wRC+ of 142 (42% above average) in 2024 and 123 (23%) in 2025 when protected from left-handed pitching. The phrase "Pavin Smith can hit" was frequently said by manager Torey Lovullo, and that has been true in the past. But it was obvious Arizona needed to move on. As it turns out, however, they won't move on entirely. It would be a surprise to see Smith back at the MLB level with the D-backs in the near future; they would have to re-add him to the 40-man roster and they have two first base options available in Tyler Locklear and LuJames Groover. But it's not impossible that Smith will don a D-backs uniform again, barring a release from the organization. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow