Boston Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington has said multiple times this offseason that the team has maintained an open dialogue with shortstop Stephen Drew and his agent, Scott Boras. The details of a potential reunion get hazy beyond that.
ESPN.com’s Jim Bowden reported Monday that Drew has received a two-year offer from the Red Sox, although it’s unclear when the offer was submitted or what the proposed deal entails in terms of salary. Nevertheless, it’s another wrinkle in the ever-changing Drew saga.
Cherington said last month that the media attention surrounding Drew’s free agency probably doesn’t reflect how much time the Red Sox have spent trying to re-sign the 30-year-old, seemingly indicating that Boston is ready to move on unless a team-friendly deal can be reached. There still doesn’t seem to be much of a market for Drew, though, so it’s entirely possible that he could wind up back in Boston, especially since Cherington and Co. haven’t closed the door on a possible return and haven’t set a deadline to reach an agreement.
Drew is coming off a strong 2013 season in which he hit .253 with 13 home runs and 67 RBIs in 124 regular-season games. The veteran shortstop rejected a one-year, $14.1 million qualifying offer from the Red Sox at the beginning of the offseason to seek a multiyear deal in free agency, but most teams appear to already have their shortstop situation figured out for 2014.
Peter Gammons on Monday predicted that Drew ultimately will land with the New York Mets, although Mets general manager Sandy Alderson recently said that he thinks it’s “unlikely” the club will make such a signing.
The Red Sox are expected to begin the season with Xander Bogaerts at shortstop and Will Middlebrooks at third base if Drew signs elsewhere.
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