Jacoby Ellsbury played against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night for the first time as a member of the New York Yankees.

Ellsbury admitted that he always felt switching sides was a possibility as he headed to free agency this past winter.

"I always thought it was a decent possibility," Ellsbury said. "I think of the Yankees as a top-flight organization, world class. I think of the championships, the history, the great players who play here. And when I signed over here, those were reasons why I did it."

The Yankees signed Ellsbury to a seven-year, $153 million deal before the season.

"Derek [Jeter] called me and said, 'You are going to enjoy it here, it is a first-class organization,'" Ellsbury said. "'It is a special place to play.' From then on, I had the highest expectations and they've met them and exceeded them."

In 1½ weeks, Ellsbury will return to Fenway Park for the first time when the Yankees visit the Red Sox.