Drew Smith excited to return to Mets after Christmas 'understanding'
Mets relief pitcher Drew Smith delivers against the Brewers during an MLB game on Opening Day at Citi Field on March 29, 2024. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Months removed from a teary-eyed potential goodbye to the Mets, Drew Smith enjoyed a particularly merry Christmas Eve.
There was no contract, no signature, no officialness. But he and the Mets, the only major-league team he has known, came to what he called “a very good understanding that I’d probably be back.”
Smith shared those details Monday morning, his first day back at Mets spring training, having returned on a one-year, $1 million contract. He is unlikely to pitch in 2025 as he recovers from his second Tommy John surgery, but the Mets hold a $2 million option for 2026.
Health will come in time. For now, Smith is just happy to be here.
“There’s nowhere else I want to be. I talked to a couple of other teams, but from the get-go, this is where I wanted to be,” he said between big smiles with his teammates. “I’m just glad that we agreed and the want was mutual. They really wanted me back, which I felt grateful for. Just being here for so long, building these relationships with these guys and this staff, so I was very thankful.”
The agreement was completed Wednesday, by which point the Mets were allowed to put Smith on the 60-day injured list so he didn’t take a spot on the 40-man roster. He said pitching later on this season is the goal but acknowledged that the best-case scenario often does not happen in cases such as his.
That would be a bonus. The Mets’ motivation was about next year. They began talking about a reunion before the end of last season, Smith said.
“David [Stearns] and Steve [Cohen], they were great to me,” he said. “They were very supportive. They told me they’d be here for anything I needed. They made a point that they wanted me back . . . I’d been here a while and for some reason, guys I guess like me in the clubhouse. I haven’t figured out why, but I fit well in here.”
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
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