Could Stephen Drew be manning shortstop for the Mets next season if all other options fail?
Shortstop rumors are all the rage for the Mets once again this offseason. As the roster stands now, the job belongs to Wilmer Flores, but many others have been mentioned as possible acquisitions: Alexei Ramirez of the Chicago White Sox, Brad Miller and Chris Taylor of the Seattle Mariners, the Chicago Cubs' triumvirate of Starlin Castro, Javier Baez and Addison Russell, and the Colorado Rockies' Troy Tulowitzki.
Now, a familiar name returns to the discussion as a possible fallback for the Mets. Joel Sherman of the Post says Stephen Drew, who spent a disastrous 2014 season between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, might end up having to take a one year, $4 million contract to re-establish his value and that the 31-year-old could once again be a possibility for the Mets if they cannot find a shortstop elsewhere this winter.
Drew was on the Mets' radar last offseason, but his demands for a multiple-year contract and the fact that signing him before the amateur draft in June meant losing a draft pick for his new team kept the Mets and all other teams away. He didn't sign with the Red Sox until June, and after two lackluster months in Boston, he was dealt to the Yankees for Kelly Johnson. His performance in New York was also poor. Overall, Drew hit just .162 with 7 home runs and 26 RBI. His .536 OPS was well off his career .747 mark.
Was last season an aberration for Drew, who may have been out of sync since he did not sign until June, or will he bounce back to his career norms? Over 162 games, he has averaged .256, 15 HR, 70 RBI while playing above-average defense.