One year removed from the J.D. Drew era in Boston, the Red Sox might be taking a look at the family tree.
The Red Sox are among the teams interested in Stephen Drew (older brother of J.D.), according to CBSSports.com’s Jon Heyman. The Yankees and Tigers reportedly are also interested in the 29-year-old shortstop.
Drew is currently a free agent, as the Athletics in October declined their half of a $10 million mutual option. The shortstop was traded to Oakland from Arizona in August after spending his first six-plus seasons with the Diamondbacks. As Heyman points out, the A’s could still be interested in signing Drew in what is a relatively weak shortstop market, but clearly the price tag that came with the option was much too high.
The Red Sox’ shortstop situation is well-documented around Boston. Jose Iglesias, a young defensive wizard, could take the reins up the middle in 2013, but he’ll need to show that he’s capable of overcoming his offensive shortcomings.
The Yankees, meanwhile, have one of the game’s all-time great shortstops in Derek Jeter, so they’re reportedly eyeing Drew in a “super sub” role after his production dipped in 2012.
The Tigers, according to ESPN’s Jim Bowden, are working on signing Drew, so that they can then trade current shortstop Jhonny Peralta to either Boston or Arizona.
Drew, who will turn 30 in March, hit .223 with seven home runs and 28 RBIs in 79 games last season, and he’s a career .265 hitter over the course of seven seasons.
Photo via Wikipedia/Stephen Drew
