As the Mets continue to try and address the shortstop position, they reportedly still have interest in signing former Red Sox shortstop Stephen Drew. The Red Sox remain interested as well.
Drew, who was a key to the Red Sox title run with his stellar defense, batted .253 this past season with 12 home runs and 67 RBI.
When comparing Drew to Ruben Tejada, its obvious that he is an upgrade over Tejada and acquiring him would bring the Mets one step closer to becoming a playoff-contending team. His range at short plus his great defensive play is something that the Mets haven’t had since Jose Reyes.
While Drew would certainly improve the Mets defensively up the middle, the Mets might be a lot better off without the former first rounder (15th overall in 2004 draft).
Over the last several years, Drew has not been swinging the bat on a consistent basis. Even in 2013, Drew had his fair share of prolonged slumps at the plate. The postseason was a time where his inconsistency at the plate really showed, as Drew went onto batting a dismal .111 with a .140 on-base in 54 at-bats with 19 strikeouts. And speaking of strikeouts, Drew whiffed 124 last season in 442 at-bats – a total that would have led the Mets.
While he can be inconsistent at the plate, injuries have also been a problem for Drew over the last several years. In 2013, he suffered a concussion in Spring Training, and during the season, he also logged time on the DL with a strained hamstring. Looking at his last three seasons (2011-2013), Drew has averaged only 96 games or just a little more than a half season worth of play.
Right now, the Red Sox appear to be the front-runner for Drew because they have reportedly offered him a two-year deal and he did enjoy his time in Bean Town.
While I’m sure the Mets would be keen to acquire him on a two-year deal, its probably going to take three years from Sandy Alderson to even consider getting a deal done. For three years and (just speculating) $10+ million per season, I believe that money should be spent elsewhere.
For a player with this many flaws and concerns, a three-year deal or even a two-year deal seems like too big a risk for the Mets to take. I pass.
