1:19pm: The Yankees have formally announced the move.
11:00am: The Yankees will recall infielder Brandon Drury from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). Drury will fill the roster spot of Luis Cessa, who the team has already formally optioned to Triple-A.
It’s been a strange season for Drury, who was acquired in February to provide depth at both second base and third base for a Yankees team that eventually had those positions earmarked for top prospects Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres. Drury opened the season on the roster but quickly was placed on the disabled list due to severe migraines that were causing blurred vision.
By the time he was healthy enough to return to action, however, both Torres and Andujar were enjoying productive stretches at the big league level. Rather than activate Drury and utilize him in a utility role, the Yankees made the somewhat surprising decision to simply option Drury to Triple-A.
[Related: New York Yankees depth chart]
Drury was understandably frustrated to be spending time in the minors after having previously established himself as a solid big league contributor with the Diamondbacks, and his play in Scranton certainly showed that he was worthy of playing in the Majors. In 203 Triple-A plate appearances, Drury hit .314/.419/.488 with five homers, 13 doubles and a triple.
With Ronald Torreyes and Tyler Wade currently in Triple-A, Drury will join Neil Walker as a utility option who can bounce around to several positions. It’s possible that Drury could see some time at first base in the immediate future, as George A. King III of the New York Post writes. Given Greg Bird’s recent struggles and an injury to Tyler Austin in Triple-A, the right-handed-hitting Drury could be called upon with the Red Sox set to throw three consecutive lefties at the Yankees this weekend.
I think it’s time to let go of Walker
Some can’t convert to lack of solid playing time as can others. Maybe that’s been the case with Walker. Hope Drury works out and can eventually make the adjustment to a utility type. he’s still young enough.
If we let Walker leave he will sign with a contender in need of middle infield help. Most likely Seattle or Boston. While he hasn’t been great so far, he has been remarkably consistent in his career and even if it means we barely use him I’d rather him occupy a spot on our bench rather than start hitting and become a contributor for a contender that comes back to haunt us.
They won’t cut him. He’s eligible to be traded in about 3 weeks. Cash will try to dump some of the salary so he has more money for a pitcher.
Eligible to be traded? What is the official date a player becomes eligible to be traded?
Neil Walker has been eligible to be dealt for quite some time. The Yankees will be able to save the prorated league minimum once they’ve had enough. No one is paying a dollar over that for Walker right now.,
Would be lucky to get a bat and a couple of balls for walker!
I’ve been begging for the Yankees to get rid of Walker since they signed him. Not a good fit on NYY
I disagree with you 100%. Walker was a perfect signing at the time, especially at the price they got him at. Unfortunately he hasn’t performed even remotely close to his career norms so far…
Lol how can you disagree 100% that Walker shouldnt have a spot on this roster? Look at his numbers. It obviously was not a perfect signing if he cant hit the ball. It may have seemed like a perfect signing at the time, but it wasnt. All he is doing is eating up a roster spot that could be given to one of the many deserving players in the minors. There was never a big need for Walker on the team. Before Bird came back the Yankees could have employed Austin and Lind on 1B. There was even less of a need for him after Bird came back and there is now no need for him now that Drury is learning 1B. Austin, Bird, and Drury at 1B is better than Walker anywhere in the lineup. They got him for cheap because no team wanted him, and for good reason too.
Who cares about his career norms if he is not even close to it? This thing happens to players all the time. Numbers usually dip as players get older. Walkers numbers were not even that good to begin with, you just drank the kool-aid and were convinced he was good. Hes OK at best at this point in his career and he is awful this season. You can go back to the articles when the Yankees signed Walker and you’ll see me saying how it was an unnecessary signing that just blocks younger players from a very talented farm.
I don’t usually comment but this really irritated me. How’re you going to light murderersrow? Walker was a fantastic signing in the offseason. I’m looking at numbers, I’m not going to look up numbers. Don’t need to. Last 3-4 years, maybe 5, he’s been a very solid 2b. Off top of my head I’d bet he’s been better than league average during that stretch. The only reason he was available for $4 million is his injury history. Decent fielder, 20hr pop. Perfect stop gap for Torres. I’d even argue that he was under valued because a HUGE part of his game takes place off the field. He’s the kind of guy you want on a young team. By all accounts he’s a great leader, very hard worker. He’s gotta be among the Vegas favorites of current players who will manage in the future. You get a guy like that and even average production to show your kids how to play and how to handle playing in New York, $4 million is a steal. He’s just been terrible. It happens. Sometimes guys just fall off a cliff, and most of the time it’s for a lot more than $4 million. It was a good signing with the potential to be a great one……..PS I hate the Yankees
I meant I’m not going to look up numbers
Yes, it COULD have been a great signing, but it wasnt. Thats the point im making. It would be a good signing if he was producing, but he isnt.
Yeah sure, hes been a solid 2B over his career, but the Yankees didnt need a 2B. They had 3 young players with lots of potential that could play 2B in Torres, Wade, and Torreyes. Those players’ potential outweighed Walkers, so signing Walker only eats up a roster spot. Im not even saying that Walker is bad, even though he is playing very poorly. My argument from the minute he was signed is that there was no need for him and the younger players should get a shot. It was an unnecessary signing. They dont need a clubhouse presence since almost every player there is a great clubhouse presence. You talk as if the Yankees have no one there to show them how to play in the MLB and that Walker would turn the clubhouse around. They also didnt need his .260-.270 AVG with 20 HR pop and decent defense because almost every player nowadays has 20 HR pop and decent fielding. Walker didnt even stop gap that much for Torres. Torreyes and Wade handled more time at 2B before Torres came up.
Im not faulting the Yankees for taking chances on players with signings/trades, im faulting them for making unnecessary chances. Keep in mind they signed Walker even after they acquired Drury and Espinosa, so 2B was as crowded as it ever was. Torres, Wade, Drury, Torreyes, Espinosa, and then you sign Walker?? No need for that. Walker played 1B more than anything but that was crowded too and is now becoming more and more crowded.
One could make the argument that the Yankees needed him to play 1B, but thats not exactly true either. At the time of the Walker signing the Yankees had Bird, Austin, and Lind (+other minor leaguers) battling it out for 1B. Bird got injured so it looked like the logical move was to have Austin and Lind until Bird gets back but the Yankees went with Austin and Walker at 1B due to Walker being able to play more positions. So while the Yankees did go with Walker, they sure didnt NEED to. Making it an unnecessary signing. Now that Bird is back and Drury is learning 1B, Walker has no spot on the roster.
But go on, continue pushing the “Walker was a good signing” meme while he bats .200. There is no room for him on the roster and there never really was.
More like time to send Greg “overrated and can’t hit big league pitching” Bird to Scranton Wilkes Barre where he belongs. A major league starting first baseman hitting .191 with a .690 OPS is a disgrace. About the only regular first baseman worse than Bird is Chris Davis of the O’s.
I said the same thing about Mike Trout during his rookie season and I was right! What a %*$($ TRASH BUM!
(not saying Bird is anywhere close to as good as Trout but you get my point)
Trout didn’t bat .219 almost 400 at bats into his MLB career spread over 3 seasons.
LOL, Sorry but Greg Bird simply doesn’t deserve to even be in the same sentence with Mike Trout. Even as just an example of a player needing more time, etc.
Mike Trout was 20 years old at the time and even then he hit .220, which is well above what Bird is doing now at 25 and Trout would go on to hit .326, 30 HR, 83 RBI’s at 21 years of age. Greg Bird is 25 now, by that age Trout was a perennial All Star and MVP candidate. Bird is an overhyped fiction
Greg Bird hit 2 home runs against the Red Sox today. The fact that you mentioned Mike Trout consensus best player in MLB, compared him to Greg Bird is laughable. They don’t even play the same position.
You people are ridiculous,. I am not comparing them in terms of caliber of player, I made a joke based on people giving up on phenoms who struggle. I even went out of the way to say that I am not saying he is anywhere near as good as him
Amen!!
Walker is headed to his destiny. The lead player in the deGrom trade, Neil will be accompanied by Drury, Tyler Wade and Joba Chamberline plus $10 million cash.
Omar Manaya commented, I let Cash pick my pockets because our cheap boss wants the cash and doesn’t care about our fans.
Judge & Drury time! Welcome back Brandon, seeya later Walker!
Thank The Lord, lol
ALL RISE. GREAT POST
Brandon Drury and the Blockheads topping the charts with Hit Me With Your Batting Stick
Still young and hopefully healthy – rooting for him to have success. Worst case if he performs well can increase trade value
Showcasing him for a trade. Him and a low prospect should land a young controllable stud pitcher.
Yeah, that ought to land them Degrom or is 30 too old?
Young controllable stud pitcher for a utility man with a league average bat and a low level prospect? Wuuuut?
I don’t have a good reply to this other than to just laugh
I actually laughed out loud when I heard Drury and a low prospect for a young, controllable, stud pitcher. While I don’t doubt that Drury could command a return of something in a trade, as he is a good utility player, there’s no chance he would be a centerpiece in a trade involving a stud pitcher.
Lmao. You give yankee fans a bad name with posts like this, JJ
Really? It’s a typical Yankees homer comment, so how is that giving them a bad name? LMAO
Thanks for the laughs!
The Sox will just find out what young stud it is and offer Blake Swihart instead and steal him from the Yanks.
Because we all know Swihart is the end all be all of young players…
Lol what? If you are going after a Young controllable stud pitcher you would have to do a lot better then Drury and a low prospect. If you are putting together a package for a pitcher like that with Drury as your centerpiece and key player in the deal heading to them you’d be laughed at by the other team. Only way that deal happens is in MLB The Show.
Far more likely they’d trade Andujar and have Drury play 3rd.
You don’t give up that kind of talent for anything.
He has Generational Talent written all over him
lol..come-on-man
“he has generational talent written all over him” give us a break please. His glove work is horrible and don’t get me started on his throws.
Judge Judy.
Don’t even waste your time replying to babies on here or posting.
The males on love to harass ladies all over these blogs because they never had one, lmao, wouldn’t know what to do???
We cannot express our thoughts in peace on Trade Rumors, Grow Up, Be real MEN
Jesus sarcasm around here just goes over heads. This was a joke in reference to the dude the other day that referred to Acuna as a generational talent akin to Trout
Though in fairness, I’ve seen posts far more ridiculous than mine that were actually serious so I don’t blame you for thinking I was being earnest
In what universe?
that’s not how it works
The Yankees could in theory play him 5 days a week. Replace Andujar for 1, Torres for 1, Bird and for 1. Then they could sit Gardner for 1 and Hicks for 1 while playing him at 3rd and DHing Andujar. Will be a good way to showcase him for teams as Judge Judy mentioned.
I don’t get this idea that Drury is being showcased for a trade. What do you think the Yankees are going to get in return for him? Maybe a journeyman starter, maybe as part of a big package for Cole Hamels?
But if you want someone who can make a real difference and make the team better, Andujar is the man you want to trade. Package him with Sheffield and Florial and you could actually get an impact arm.
The loss of Andujar can be absorbed by playing Drury at 3rd, and using Frazier as you suggest, a couple of times a week in the outfield, a couple at DH.
I know Yankee fans want to keep Andujar– I do too– but I don’t think they can win a postseason series with the rotation they have, especially if Severino will be used in the Wild Card Game.
But add an impact arm, and they might win the division, and could match starters with the Sox or Houston in a short series.
It’s gonna take one hell of a good starter to match Houston. Who do you have in mind?
I’m still hoping the Mets will come to their senses and take an elite prospect package for DeGrom (a longshot, I know)
Severino/DeGrom/Tanaka/Sabathia might not be as good as Houston’s rotation on paper, but in a short series it’s more than enough for the Yankees to match them.
If they were able to pry deGrom away from the Mets their 1-2 would be better then Houston, I’d most definitely slot CC as the #3 in a playoff series. Don’t sleep on the Indians staff 1-3 Kluber-Corrasco-Bauer.
Adam,
great sense, now you are a mature smart baseball fan
I love what you had to say!!
I’m curious who will replace Drury in the AAA All-Star game or if he will still be playing in that game.. Brandon was named to the team on 6/27 for the game on 7/11.
I’m sure there will be some other deserving guys on the bubble who didn’t make it but get to now with Drury being promoted. Once he gets that first MLB check it will wash away every doubt in his mind about playing in the AAA All-Star game.
Lmao. You give yankee fans a bad name with posts like this, JJ
Is that even possible?
Does Drury get rave reviews?
No, but he’s still young, can play solid defense, and put up decent offensive numbers (he’s just a year removed from hitting .282). Cashman was very high on him, and situationally his acquisition reminded me of how they brought in Gregorious, who blossomed after the move.
I’d like to see him given a chance, and I’d like the Yanks to move Andujar for a starting pitcher.
Drury over Andujar at 3rd base for sure.
Andujar has cooled with the bat….too interested in the extra base hit, pulling and lifting everything with the bat.
Given the same amount of at bats Drury will out hit him, plays better defense, and can play all around the diamond including the outfield.
VERSATILITY and youth, with loads of upside.
Andujar is a good player that can be packaged for that starter they would like to get.
Very well said.
Add Frazier in that deal
Why are people blasting Neil Walker, he is a big league regular that is accustomed to playing every day in his career, not part time. The biggest culprit in this is equation is that guy Greg Bird. He is absolutely the most overrated Yankee since Jobamania. What has Greg Bird even done to warrant a guaranteed big league spot with what he has done to date. He is a truly dreadful hitter when I watch him game after game. He is pure hype.
Greg Bird is in fact the one that belongs in Scranton until he shows he can consistently hit a big league baseball. Even Chris Carter who the Yankees released last season was hitting better than Greg Bird, that says it all. All that some Yankee fans are now left to say about Bird is “oh he has a sweet swing”. That says it all. For crying out loud the guy’s line is .191 AVG, .308 OBP, .382 SLG, .690 OPS, 3 HR, 6 RBI’s in 89 at bats. His career line is .219 AVG, .314 OBP, .455 SLG, .770 OPS. I mean this guys is so overrated its ridiculous. You listen to some folks you would think this guy is the next Donnie baseball for the Yankees, when he is in fact a simply atrocious hitter. He needs to be sent down and kept there until he shows he can start hitting the baseball in the minors.
I’m not quite as harsh on Bird, but in general I agree.
The biggest thing I hear from Bird-lovers is his “sweet swing” and his “flawless defense.” Well so what? Until he can hit above his weight I don’t care how great his form is.
He’s had 3 seasons now to put it together– but he has yet to show he can hit consistently or stay on the field. I’m all for optioning him to AAA and letting him get his reps in there while the Yanks try Drury at first, he who was hitting .346 at AAA.
Thing is they need his LH bat in the lineup.
What good is a left handed bat that does not produce. No team is scared of Greg Bird at the plate. Notice how what you said is is so similar to Chasen Shreve’s situation on the pitching side, oh they need a left handed reliever, except he is not getting the job done either time and time again. They are hurting rather than helping the team because of their poor play. They are negative contributors to date.
To give you an idea Greg Bird’s numbers are comparable to Adrien Gonzalez who the Mets released. Currently Greg Bird simply does not belong in the big leagues, he needs to be sent down to the minors since he has options and figure out his issues there. Yankees are battling for a division and need every help they can get in that pursuit.
I am keeping my fingers crossed that Brandon Drury produces so that maybe they just play him at 1st moving forward and demote Bird. Instead folks are slagging Neil Walker who has always been a big league starter and a far better player than Greg Bird has ever been. He is playing very irregularly and not every player can adapt to that. Yankees can simply release Neil Walker if push comes to shove. To me Neil Walker is far less of a problem than Greg Bird who is getting all the reps and stinking up the joint.
In baseball first base is a premium power position, so far only Chris Davis is a worse regular everyday first baseman than Greg Bird has been. All I see some fans now saying is “his sweet swing” because reality is they can’t talk about his terrible hitting. He is giving the team absolutely nothing out there at the plate.
To give a comparison of first base between the Yankees and Red Sox. The Red Sox have Mitch Moreland hitting .290 AVG, .357 OBP, .548 SLG, .905 OPS, 11 HR, 40 RBI’s compared to Greg Birds line of .191 AVG, .308 OBP, .382 SLG, .690 OPS, 3 HR, 6 RBI’s. When teams are so close and neck and neck you need every edge you can get and right now first base is a weakness for the Yankees vs the Red Sox, their division competitor. All these factors can add up to winning the division vs a Wild Card. Bird’s numbers are comparable to Adrian Gonzalez who the Mets released. SMH.
MLB history is littered with guys like Greg Bird, guys who came up, had a nice little bit of spark but over the test of time just faded because they’re in fact not the real deal. As a Yankee fan I can remember Shane Spencer and Shelly Duncan for example. Very nice stories to recall their entrance onto the big league scene, but they were never going to be big league everyday starters, much less stars.
The way some folks talk about Greg Bird you would think he is destined for the echelons of Mattingly, Tino, Giambi, Teixeira, etc. as if. No matter what has happened first base has always been a power spot for the Yankees, The past couple of seasons its been barren since Tex retired. As crazy as it is, Teixeira could probably come out of retirement at 38 and hit better than what Greg Bird is doing, only thing is he probably wouldn’t be able to stay healthy over the long haul, something that is very familiar and similar to you guessed it, one Greg Bird. Not a fan of the guy at all, he is all hype. 🙂
We all get it you don’t like the guy.
LOL, well glad you did. 🙂 Sorry but I just can’t stand the hype he is given by some fellow Yankee fans for a player who has done absolutely nothing to warrant such praise. I could see if the guy had two back to back solid seasons ala Gary Sanchez, but Bird is still living off of a piece of 2015.
My comments are just frustration with all the hype he gets for being such a terrible hitter. Even here notice people were attacking Neil Walker who is now a part time player for the first time in his career and nothing was even mentioned about Bird’s awful hitting to date.
Perhaps you should cut out caffeine and practice yoga if you get this worked up over a player.
Good god man like Steven said we get it. Is this actually a Yankees fan, or???
Thing is he is in the lineup every single day as the starting first baseman so of course it annoys me to see how awful a hitter he is yet he gets all this hype from some Yankee fans as this big bat just waiting to bust out because of his “sweet swing”
Of course I am a Yankees fan, otherwise if I wasn’t I wouldn’t have even cared to comment about him. Other teams fans would want him in the lineup, easy out for their pitchers. Trust me no other fans of other teams would waste time talking about Greg Bird, much less to the extent I have. I am just amazed at how Neil Walker is getting so much criticism yet Greg Bird who can’t even hit above the Mendoza line is skating by on the coattail of the other players. His laissez-faire attitude doesn’t endear him to me either. Would much rather a player like Torreyes who busts his behind on every play and makes the most of his limited talents than a player like Greg Bird who some fans have dreams of stardom about that is nowhere to be seen. That’s often called delusional. 🙂
The thing is with Bird is that he is still very young, has a lot of potential, and has the Yankees coaching staff behind him talking about what kind of talent his is. A-Rod and Texiera have been big on him too.
Walker, however, is at nearing end of his career, blocking youner players from playing, and producing around the same level as Bird. Since they are producing about the same, you take the guy with better potential. In this case, Bird has way more potential than Walker. So Walker<Bird.
Looks like someone will forego his AAA all star selection
Best looking ballplayer out there