The Nationals have struck a deal to sign infielder Stephen Drew, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). Drew will reportedly receive a $3MM guarantee and can earn up to $1.25MM via incentives in the contract which max out at 130 games played.
This move rates as something of a surprise, but makes sense upon close inspection. Washington has already agreed to sign Daniel Murphy, likely to play second base, and can utilize Anthony Rendon at third. But the shortstop position remains in some flux. Danny Espinosa looks to sit atop the depth chart, but he is not an optimal everyday player. Top position player prospect Trea Turner is also a viable potential option, though it would arguably be foolish to utilize him in a part-time role.
Drew will presumably get a decent bit of action at shortstop against right-handed pitching. While Espinosa is a switch hitter, he struggles from the left side. The left-handed-hitting Drew, on the other hand, has a .765 career OPS against right-handed pitching, while posting a mark precisely one hundred points lower when facing southpaws. He’ll also likely provide a rest at times for Rendon and Murphy, or allow the latter to slide in at first base if the team chooses to rest the oft-injured Ryan Zimmerman against righties (though Clint Robinson also could see time in that role).
As Heyman notes, then-Diamondbacks scouting director and current Nationals GM Mike Rizzo selected Drew in the first-round back in 2004, so there’s a history. At the time, and at times since, there has been hope that Drew would settle in as a top-quality regular. That hasn’t quite happened, despite several good seasons, but Drew still brings some skills to the table.
Most notably, Drew delivers plenty of pop for a middle infielder. He swatted 17 home runs last year in just 428 plate appearances and finished with a strong .180 ISO. Reaching base consistently, though, has been a challenge. Drew ended 2015 with a .201/.271/.381 batting line.
There were some potential positives to be found — namely, a 16.6% strikeout rate that was far lower than recent years and a .201 BABIP that could point to some bad luck. But Drew’s anemic output at the plate over the last two years has also featured a significant fall-off in his line-drive percentage (15.7% last year) and hard-hit rate (21.3% in 2015).
Drew doesn’t have to hit all that much to function as a utility option, though, especially if he’s largely limited to facing right-handed pitching. He’s spent most of his career at shortstop, drawing mostly positive ratings in recent seasons. Neither UZR nor DRS has been particularly enamored of his work at second over the past two years, but at worst he’s been serviceable there.
From a market perspective, a $3MM guarantee isn’t all that much these days, even for an extra infielder. Earlier this winter, for example, Cliff Pennington got $3.75MM over two years from the Angels earlier this winter and Mike Aviles landed $2MM in a one-year pact with the Tigers. And last year, the Rockies gave Daniel Descalso a $3.6MM guarantee on a two-year term.
It’s probably worth noting, too, that this move makes it all but official that Ian Desmond won’t be back in D.C. That was clearly where things were headed anyway, but there had always seemed to be at least some possibility of a reunion in the event that Desmond was forced to settle for a pillow contract. With Drew on the books, though, there wouldn’t be room for the long-time Nats fixture to come back (barring a trade).
Finally! Someone to protect Harper in the batting order!
Not much of protection haha Stephen Drew sucks
Love the sarcasm……it’s a critical element after a BIG signing like this one…….
Seems that the Nats do not wish to have Trea Turner anywhere near their Major League roster in 2016.
Eh, at $3M for a year he’s nothing more than a placeholder. If Turner has a couple of good months in AAA then Drew will get traded to whoever has injury issues for a career minor leaguer.
Dusty Baker is in charge now……..he hates youngsters…..much prefers veterans, which is why the went after Phillips. Be ready for seeing the “old guys” on the field a lot………(sad face)
As good as Turner can be, I think they’re better off at least delaying his call up to give them more service time. Unless he’s going to come up and put ROY numbers its not worth it when they can afford to sign a one year bridge guy.
Terrible. Sure it’s only a waste of 3M, but $$ like that has always mattered to the Nats ownership come July. I can’t believe there aren’t’ a dozen guys who would be better than Drew and take a minor league deal. Maybe most of them are gone by now, but there’s no way some team doesn’t jettison a guy in spring training better than friggin Stephen Drew. OK, I looked – I’d rather have Ramiro Pena or Pedro Ciriaco than him and they would cost zilch.
If they were really worried about using Turner or Difo too early in the year for team control purposes, they should have signed a guy who could play short six or eight weeks ago, instead of Scott Sizemore who can”t..
That’s why I don’t understand this signing. I thought Turner would be playing short and Espinoza a reserve infielder, but now the Nats have an excess amount of infielders (not bad) and not enough outfielders to compliment a Werth who the Nats cant gaurantee on playing a whole.season.
Yuck. What, Kevin Frandsen and Dan Uggla weren’t available?
Drew is much, much better than those two.
This is a fine bench signing by the Nats….until you realize who’s managing the Nats this year, then you realize he’s probably going to play over Turner for no reason.
.652 OPS last year, projected by BR to rise to .669 in 2016. (.536 OPS in 2014).
And yes, they will probably actually play Drew after June 1 on occasion. I’m sad.
Dusty won’t have a choice. Turner will almost certainly be at Triple-A. He could move up mid-year, of course, if circumstances warrant.
Wow. Folks, hand your son a baseball as quickly as possible. A .201 BA and a .271 OBP is now worth $3 million dollars…
As Scott Boras is so fond of saying, “it is an owners decision”. Yes it is because GM’s are not that stupid.
Lol Wut
Hahahahaha. Unbelievable.
Scott Boras is an illusionist, seriously i don’t know how in the world he keeps getting Drew major league contracts.
I mean, he’s a major league worthy bench player. But that it would be this team is a bad fit. The Nationals and Boras have some weird arrangement with one another.
Yes, ideally Drew is a LHB bench player to back up a RHB rookie at SS.
Trea Turner is one of Rizzo’s prize trades. Don”t see him in the minors again unless he tanks in ST.
I don’t mind this deal for the Nats. It’s good depth. The article and some comments make it sound like Drew would be clogging up the infield, but really he’s just a short-term stop-gap for Trea Turner and a viable fallback option in case someone gets hurt
I think that’s exactly what the article says, no?
Nationals must love New York second basemen
Sorry Turner, Dusty Baker hates rookies
Very True Sutter……..remember how he treated Frazier? Dusty had to leave for Frazier to break out……..then they TRADE him……lol. Turner might play in 2017. Better watch out, they still need arms……Hey Dusty…..I know that you know that…….Aaron Harang is out there somewhere….lurking…………omg
Drew hit 17 home runs last season! $3,000,000 isn’t a bad deal when you factor in his ability to play short and second. That’s where the money came from–power pays and he hit 5 more homers than Rollins and 7 more than Ramirez.
Dude, this isn’t 1996. His 17 homeruns still produced a .652 OPS. That is how bad a hitter he is now. 12 of those homers were at Yankee Stadium so forget 17 next year. You play Drew and he will hit .200 with 9 to 12 homeruns and easily be one of the worst players in baseball. Yet he still manages to get millions thrown at him every year. Ugh.
The Matt Flynn of Baseball..
Does anyone think the nats could make a run at Cargo? I think they have some young arms that could get a deal done, something involving Joe Ross and Austen Williams and maybe another, that gives them a good bat to have behind Harper but it’s just a thought
Don’t think they’ll give up the prospects that Colorado wants for 2 years of CarGo……The price is high right now…..They’d do better going after Upton or Cespedes……Gordon is already 32……and I don’t think they’ll be able to re-sign Harper
I don’t either. When I think of a Cargo trade they are the first team to come to mind, and Colorado is going to ask for pitching so I was thinking Aj Cole, Austen Williams, Sammy solis and maybe Brian Goodwin for Cargo and Rafael Ynoa, the last two of each being throw ins
After what Ross showed last year, I’d be stunned, personally. Maybe Cole, depending upon how the Nats feel about him.
Of course, I seem to be rather bearish on CarGo compared to most, in large part due to his injuries but also the home/road & platoon splits.
I was thinking Cole at first but then thought that Colorado would have a high asking price so I said Ross, id be stunned to but I guess crazier things have also happened as well
After the horrendous 2015 season, CarGo’s injuries alone should keep him off the Nats’ radar.
If they’re all in and are committed to winning I guess why not.
bleacherreport.com/articles/2564903-re-ranking-all…
would probably have to give up 1 or 2 of the guys here but hey why go half way.
Yankee fans, rejoice!!!
It’s not like he was likely to go back to the big apple
No, but still happy when it becomes official, you know? Two years was two years too many.
Couldnt be any happier to see this as a Mets fan to be honest.
This means that Turner starts in AAA (service time issues a big reason why). Better off starting the kid over Espinosa/Drew IMO
Also Drew hit 17 homers playing in Yankee Stadium and the other small AL East parks.
17 home runs as a Yankee is equal to about 7 in a normal stadium. Pete Rose could hit 20 in that cat box today. Right field is a joke at Yankee Stadium. Don’t be fooled into thinking Drew has too much “pop”.
Lota uniforms,lota memories.Only makin’ 3 mil,!!…TeddyBall made just over 1mil.,for 19 years…imagine…Steven is lucky.hope he believes himself and enjoys his last days in the Majors.Good luck.Steven.
Yeah, Drew is hitting a buck 80 over the past 2 seasons. All of those HRs are in Yankees Stadium, Way to blow $3M.
Once could have had $14M for one season. Thanks, Scott.
What a waste of money Drew a winner nice for the bench or send to Japan but a minimum pay guy – but it worked for the Cubs with D.Ross
Drew sucks, has sucked, and always will suck. CANT HIT AT ALL. Worse than Mendoza. Lost respect for the Nats.