Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Position: 3B/2B/1B
Bats/Throws: R/R
Age: 8/21/1992 (29)

Traditional Stats: 81 G, 86 H, 18 HR, 52 RBI, .278/.336/.528
Advanced Stats: .249 ISO, 134 wRC+, 42nd % OAA

Rundown

Mets fans should be familiar with the Reds’ third baseman, as he was on the roster for a brief time last season. Brandon Drury played 51 games with the Mets last season and finished with a decent slash line of .274/.307./.476/.783. The team eventually let him go on October 14, 2021, as they granted him free agency. On March 21, 2022, Drury signed with the Cincinnati Reds and has been one of the team’s best players the entire season.

This season, Drury has slashed an impressive .275/.336/.523/.859 in an everyday role for the Reds. He has played several positions for the team, showing his versatility by playing every infield position this year except catcher. The Mets are set on the infield as long as the team continues to view Eduardo Escobar as the team’s primary third baseman. However, Drury’s bat could make him an intriguing target for the team seeking an upgrade at DH, where the team has not fared well this season.

Now, it is essential to note the splits for Drury. At hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park, he has hit ten home runs, with 31 RBI and a slash line of .359 OBP and .937 OPS. He has hit eight home runs on the road with 21 RBIs. His .356 BABIP at home is a stark contrast from the .257 he is sporting on the road. However, Drury has fared very well this season against lefties with a 1.048 OPS in 101 plate appearances. The Mets, as a team, are hitting just .238 against lefties. Drury would provide the Mets a power threat from the right side that is comfortable hitting lefties.

The DH’s

Metsmerized’s John Sheridan recently put together a DH report card on the club and spoke of the lack of production. J.D. Davis and Dominic Smith have not gotten the job done, as the two have combined for four home runs the entire season. Davis’ strikeout rate above 30% is highly concerning, despite how hard he hits the ball. (According to Statcast, Davis is in the 99th percentile in hard-hit%.) His BABIP of .339 is right there with his career .340, so it seems he has been highly unlucky.

Smith’s lack of power is shocking. Zero home runs the entire season for a player that homered a combined 21 times from 2019-2020 and had a .937 OPS over the course of 139 games. Over the last two seasons, Smith has produced just a .643 OPS over the previous 203 games, a relatively large sample size. The team was close to moving Smith in the spring in a rumored deal that would have sent him to San Diego. The club recently placed Smith on the IL with an ankle injury retroactive to July 17th.

With the Mets, the lack of power is highly concerning, especially for a team that ranks 17th in home runs and counts on slugging first baseman Pete Alonso for much of their power. This year, Alonso has accounted for 26% of the team’s home runs. Alonso has been penciled into the lineup as the DH 21 times this season by manager Buck Showalter. Showalter does this to keep the bat in the lineup but gives Alonso the occasional “rest” from having to play nine innings in the field. However, he is the team’s primary first baseman, and that will not change anytime soon, hence why the club needs to make upgrading the DH position a top priority as they head into the August 2nd, 2022 trade deadline.

Package

What do the Mets have to part with to acquire Drury’s bat? With the Reds coming out of the break sporting a 34-57 record, which is last in the NL Central, the team will probably take a prospect for the soon-to-be free agent. When the Mets traded Asdrubal Cabrera years ago to the Phillies, the trade returned a top-10 prospect in pitcher Franklyn Kilome. Cabrera was slashing .277/.329/.488 at the time of the transaction. He also was a rental that year. 

After analyzing the prospects for the Reds, their top-10 prospects consist of three pitchers, five infielders, and two outfielders. Prospects 11-14 are pitchers. Could Cincinnati be interested in third baseman/centerfielder Jaylen Palmer?

In Brooklyn this season, Palmer has just a .310 OBP and .621 OPS, but he possesses a lot of the tools that intrigue scouts. Palmer is athletic, has speed, projects above-average power, and if he can sort out his pitch selection, he has the chance to be a serviceable big leaguer in the near future. He has seven homers and 25 RBI to go along with 15 steals in 17 attempts in 76 games.

Regardless, Drury is not the player that will break the bank in terms of prospect cost. For the Mets, it is a matter of whether the Mets see him as a reliable upgrade as the team approaches October with championship aspirations.