Red Sox Newcomer Thrilled To Be Part Of Boston Franchise

The Red Sox signed Dominic Smith to a one-year deal moments before Boston took the field against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night.

It happened so quickly that Smith didn’t have the opportunity to meet his new teammates in the clubhouse before the game, per MassLive’s Christopher Smith.

“A lot of them (my new teammates) I didn’t get to meet until I was out there on the field,” Smith said, per Smith.

Boston defeated the Giants 6-2, and Smith knocked in his first run as a Red Sox player. With two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, Smith singled to center, plating Rob Refsnyder for Boston’s fifth run.

“It felt amazing. I’ve got plenty more from where that came from,” Smith said. “But it was good to get that first one, first day like this. Now I can get settled in and help this ball club win.”

Smith played six seasons for the New York Mets from 2017 to 2022 before signing a one-year contract with the Washington Nationals in 2023. In a career-high 153 games for the Nationals, Smith slashed .254/.326/.366 with 12 home runs and 46 RBI.

After signing a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays on March 30, Smith was released on May 1 after he triggered the opt-out clause in his contract.

“(The Rays) told me from the beginning that if there’s an opportunity somewhere else they won’t hold me back,” Smith said. “We talked on Sunday. They said we could start reaching out to teams. … I have nothing but respect for them for that. And that’s the only way I’d be out here today because they could have dragged it out for a little bit longer. But we’re here today and happy to be a part of the Red Sox. That’s just great to say.”

Smith added: “This is the best organization to be a part of. The history here. Actually, the fan base, there’s no better place to play, in my opinion. You feel the history when you go out onto the field. Even as a visiting ballplayer, I would feel it. So to come here today as the home player is really surreal.”

The Red Sox will close out their three-game set with the Giants on Thursday afternoon at Fenway Park. First pitch is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. ET, and you can catch the game on NESN, following an hour of pregame coverage.