Cafardo: Yankees may consider Stephen Drew after the draft

May 16, 2014 by Mike Axisa 39 Comments

Via Nick Cafardo: The Yankees may re-consider signing Stephen Drew after the draft passes next month, when they would not have to forfeit their second round pick. The team also doesn’t want the Red Sox to gain another compensation pick after essentially giving them one as part of the Jacoby Ellsbury signing.

Drew, 31, will probably need several weeks to get ready for MLB game action at this point, even if he has been working out in the meantime. (I’m sure he has.) The best case scenario is what, probably one week to get ready? As Joe wrote yesterday, the Yankees could clearly use help on the infield — if Carlos Beltran needs surgery, Derek Jeter could serve as the regular DH with Drew at shortstop — but it’s obvious no other team is going to jump in to sign him before the draft. With only three weeks to go, I think they could wait. He wouldn’t move the needle enough in those three weeks to justify losing the pick.

The Great Gonzo

What kind of money would he command? Not sure if we discussed this on yesterday’s thread…

1/5? 2/15? Either one of those would be perfectly acceptable to me.
- http://twitter.com/rational_sports Rational Sports
  
  1/5? 2/15? I would have to think it would be more than that… he turned down the qualifying offer and the main reason other teams didn’t sign him was because the draft pick compensation was attached. Have to think he would be able get some offers in the 1/15 or 2/25 range.
  - King George
    
    Not happening. 2/15 is about what he’s going to get especially since June 1 will be near the halfway mark into the 2014 season.
  - Preston
    
    The fact that he turned down the QO offer is pretty meaningless at this point. Teams obviously didn’t value him that highly. Plus now he’s only available for half the season. I do think he’d only want to do a one year deal though, go back to FA without the comp pick and see what he can get.
  - Michahiro Pinaka
    
    He’s not getting a full year’s salary for half a year. You may want to reconsider your screen name.
  - http://peterwrusso@gmail.com Peter W Russo
    
    The issue is will Drew want more than one year? This is typical Yankees wait until the draft is over than make a move. Yet, Drew will take several weeks to be ready. On the whole is it worth the risk? Yes, because the Yankees will not loose a compensatory pick to the Red Sox.
John C

Yanks could sell him on the idea of being Jeter’s successor. Sign him to a 3 year deal with him taking over SS full time next year. This yar he’d be the fill in at 2nd and 3rd and 2nd
- Yan Solo
  
  I want Drew on a 3 year deal as much as I want to catch an STD.
  - Dick M
    
    That bad, huh.
    - Yan Solo
      
      Yes he is. Or at least in terms of the money/commitment he’s actually likely to get (if not this year, perhaps next) but not deserve.
      (and yes, I realize that wasn’t how I was supposed to read your response, but I chose to interpret it a little differently. lol)
      - Dick M
        
        It’s like the NY Times crossword puzzle — always look for the second meaning.
        
        Oh, and I agree. The last thing we need is Stephen Drew.
        
        We are going to need a SS next year but he ain’t the guy.
  - willie w
    
    he only cares about money
    not being a yank for replacing jeter
    only money money money
Frankie Beans

I’m excited another piece of shit Joe can cycle in. Just what this team need more replacements!
- hogsmog
  
  Yes. More replacements are what this team actually needs at this point.
King George

I’d say probably 2/15 could be right, but you have to also think some team also desperate for IF help (Tigers, Mets, even the Red Sox) may be dumb enough to go 3 years.
Jon M.

No one is going 3 years with his injury history, and there is no way he is getting $15M per. The fact that he rejected the $14M offer is water under the bridge now. He won’t be able to replicate that.
Chip Rodriguez

Works for me if they can wait, and not lose the draft pick.

Even if they signed Drew right now, it’s not like he’d get a lot of games in the next 3 weeks.
Jon M.

And why would making Jeter the DH help us. Getting him off the field is good, but he can’t hit anymore either.
Yan Solo

Regardless of the fact that I don’t want the Yankees to have anything to do Drew, I just don’t see them making that move mainly because I don’t see the Yankees, as long as Jeter is healthy and physically able to play SS 4 out of 7 days a week (isn’t that why we have Brendan Ryan? for the off days?), telling Jeter that he will basically be a DH the rest of the way this season, his final swan song season.

And yes, they need to manage to win not to do a “farewell tour” but I just don’t see them demoting the captain that much in his final go around. And besides, when Beltran comes back, if he is indeed out 6-8 weeks, what the hell do you do with the trio of Jeter, Ryan, AND Drew now that “Jeter as the primary DH” can no longer play (not to mention the fact that our other aging players will need time at DH to rest their bodies but remain in the lineup.) I feel like this could jeopardize Solarte’s role with the team, even if he is still putting up avg/above avg numbers as he is now considering that all three of those guys would command MLB deals only and, as far as I know, can not go to the minors like Solarte (Jeter is obviously out in that regards, and I assume Ryan and Drew would be as well).

I just don’t really see the need or effectiveness of adding Drew to this team (and hopefully I am analyzing this beyond my irrational dislike for all things Drew which comes mostly from the fact that he’s way too overrated and just doesn’t fit the big picture and will probably require yet another contract we won’t want in a year or two but seem to be signing because “moves have to be made for right now”).

Now, if somehow Beltran is out for the whole year? Then I might be able to begin to set my Drew dislike aside and consider.
- Preston
  
  Even in his current state Jeter may be better than we get out of Drew. Look at his 2012. He was worse than Jeter has been both offensively and defensively. Why? because he had missed a lot of time due to injury. Now he’s missed a lot of time due to his holdout. There isn’t any guarantee he doesn’t have a lot of rust to knock off and he looks pretty piss poor for half a season.
  - Yan Solo
    
    I’m with you. I know Jeter’s defensive range is non-existent anymore, but he’s always been way above average in positioning himself to make up for lack of range and he “pulls a Nunez” throwing to 1st, or anywhere else for that matter, once every few years it seems. And I know it’s not a “farewell tour” but I think the last thing the Yankees want to do is go through the controversy they went through with Posada (whether it is warranted or not). And I agree with most commenters that Drew probably won’t even realistically consider the Yankees because his options for the now and future are probably better with other teams and markets. Our long national “Sign Stephen Drew!” nightmare should come to a close real soon. Or we can at least hope it does.
Preston

It’s just not a good fit. Jeter is our SS, Drew isn’t going to come for money to be a backup. He is going to want to go someplace and play SS everyday and try to rebuild value for next year. Even if he was willing to play 2b/3b he’s not necessarily an upgrade. I mean Solarte isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, he’s hitting .325/.403/.504, it’s going to take a serious nosedive to get him out of the starting role at 3b. Girardi has shown that he really loves Roberts at 2b, and the bat is starting to come around. Plus we have Kelly Johnson and his 109 wRC+ sitting on the bench. I just don’t see Drew coming to the Yankees to be part of the infield rotation. He’d be much better served going to the Tigers or Pirates.
- Long-Past-His-Day-Rod
  
  Yeah I agree with 100% of this.
  
  Drew has no established track record playing 2B or 3B and he’s been sitting all year. I just don’t see it.
Need Pitching & Hitting

Drew could make an ideal platoon candidate to go with Jeter at SS.

But I don’t think there is a chance in hell that the Yankees will relegate Jeter to platoon status.
Unless that changes, I think the time for Drew has passed (barring future injuries, of course).
I just don’t think he’s a big enough upgrade over just half of a season over what they have.
They need to be bigger game hunting at this point. Jeter as a full-time DH isn’t much of a solution to anything.
I think I’d even prefer Morales over Drew if Beltran is going to be out an extended time.
- Kosmo
  
  worst case scenario for Beltran to return would be sometime after the all-star break if he has surgery. A decision will come after his DL-Stint just in time to make a decision on Morales. Morales would add a lot more thump to the lineup.
- Chip Rodriguez
  
  yeah, I think Morales could do more for the team this year in terms of adding pop and a 1B backup.
  
  Stick Solarte or Ryan in at SS when Jeter’s getting days off.
  
  Longer term though, the SS spot remains an issue. Question is whether the FO is just banking on getting Hanley when/if he becomes a free agent.
  - Dick M
    
    This. While Drew is I hope not the answer (you never know with our FO), the question remains where are we going next year as far as SS goes?
    
    As far as this year goes, as I’ve stated previously, Jeter has earned this decline. We’ve got to sit back and take it.
Kosmo

key words “may re-consider signing Drew“ . Drew will probably want to go to a contending team and/or take the best deal available. Pirates, Tigers, Reds, Twins , Mets all could be interested suitors.
LK

Hard to see this happening now. The Tigers have a better team and much more open SS position. I can’t imagine why Drew would rather come to NYY unless they’re willing to overpay him, and nothing suggests they’re willing to do that.
Vern Sneaker

Sure we have no adequate SS for next season but a high-priced rusty .250 hitter like Drew with a multi-year contract is not the right answer. And if we sign him this season, all we’ll be doing is faking our way around things for the rest of the year while Saint Jeter finishes up at short. I figure Jeter will hit a bit better than he has so far, maybe end up around .280 and hit a ball into a gap once in a while tho playing bad defense the whole time. Drew at 3B? Solarte to 2B? What about Roberts? Drew’s not worth the aggravation.
- Dick M
  
  You had me till that 280 stuff. He’s got to get a little better but man he can’t even get the ball out of the infield.
  
  Would Jeter consider falling on his sword?
MP

Another big question is who loses a roster spot in that case? Roberts and Johnson don’t seem likely to be flat out cut from the team, they just signed Ryan for multiple years, and Solarte sure as hell isn’t going anywhere.
- The Other Matt
  
  You took the words right out my mouth. They have Ryan locked up for a couple years, which was a mistake in itself. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t make sense to carry 3 shortstops, and even if Beltran needs surgery, it sure as hell wouldn’t be beneficial to have Derek Jeter as the permanent DH. If that’s the case just sign Morales. As much as it pains me to say it, I’d rather see Ichiro play RF everyday, with Sorinao continuing to be the DH, than to have Derek Jeter as the DH everyday.
Darren

When was the last time, if ever, a player of Drew’s quality (no jokes please) remained unsigned this far into the season?

Other than Bonds, of course.
mick taylor

totally idiotic to sign drew to play shortstop and have jeter dh. jeter does not hit enough to be a dh regularly. much better to sign kendry morales . he is a better hitter than drew. he can dh and fill in for tex occasionally at 1st.
Balt Yank

Who cares who signs a .260 hitter with no power at SS. Why is this dude even news. Please do not sign him.
Phil

Maybe Carfardo should concern himself to the Red Sox and less on the Yankees. This is about the fourth time he has Drew coming to New York. Actually Drew returning to Boston makes sense to me. Bogaerts and Middlebrook can use some help.
tommy cassella

the yanks owe it to jeter to keep playing him.
Balt Yank

Jeter is still at age 40 a better hitter than Drew. OK, Drew hits some doubles. He’s a substitute player at best, and Yanks have many more problems than adding a new problem.