ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -Just hours after agreeing to terms with the Texas Rangers, first-round draft pick Justin Smoak met the team and took batting practice on Saturday.
Smoak, a switch-hitting first baseman who was the 11th overall pick in June, signed a minor league contract with a $3.5 million signing bonus. The University of South Carolina standout and the Rangers came to an agreement Friday just 15 minutes before the midnight EDT deadline, or else the team would have lost Smoak’s rights.
“I knew deep down we were going to get something done,” said Smoak, who also took a few cuts in the cage after talking to reporters. “I’m glad everything worked out. I never realized how the business side of things worked.”
Smoak hit .383 with 23 home runs and 72 RBIs as a junior last season. He was a .333 career hitter with 62 homers and 207 RBIs and had a .993 fielding percentage after committing only 12 errors.
Smoak has spent the past month working out in Atlanta trying to stay in game shape.
“I kind of knew this would be a drawn out process,” Smoak said. “I just wanted to stay productive.”
Texas signed its top nine picks and 24 of the top 26 players it drafted.
Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said Smoak will report to Class-A Clinton.
“This is a day we would have liked to have seen happen two months ago,” Daniels said. “But we think 10 or 15 years from now that will be irrelevant.”
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