Rays to sign veteran first baseman

One veteran batter is going from the NL East to the AL East.

Robert Murray of FanSided reported on Saturday that the Tampa Bay Rays have agreed to a deal with free-agent first baseman Dominic Smith. It will be a minor league contract for the 28-year-old Smith, Murray adds.

Smith, a lefty hitter, was previously a standout on the New York Mets, where he played from 2017-22. His best year as a Met came during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season where Smith hit .311 with a monster .993 OPS and received votes for the NL MVP award (ultimately finishing 13th in the race). Smith spent last season with the Washington Nationals, hitting .254 with 12 home runs and 46 RBI in 153 games.

After signing a minor league deal with the Chicago Cubs back in February but triggering his opt-out clause earlier this month, Smith now lands with the Rays organization. He should eventually get a chance to contribute to a Tampa Bay team that already added notable infield help over the offseason.