NFT: Yankees-Rays Trade

Seems like a young, inexpensive way to plug a hole. He has shown the ability to hit Major League pitching, though am unfamiliar with his fielding. In the "old days", they would have brought in or traded for some high priced veteran on the downside of their career. In contrast, here is a "kid" who is 24, yet with a couple of years' in the bigs and with versatility, upside and something to prove. I like it as a relatively low risk. In terms of price, if they are struggling to find room for Clint Frazier, then what's the future for Solak, a good hitter with some / limited power?

or whoever. A guy like that would have blocked Andujar for possibly the whole season. This way, Yanks have depth if they think Andujar needs more seasoning in the minors, but no problem bringing him up whenever they want and turning Drury into a utility guy, along with Torreyes.

and the Drury

In comment 13837555 rich in DC said:

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In comment 13837522 bigbluehoya said: Quote: For a bottom of the order bat to keep an infield spot warm. Nothing that I’m going to get too wound up about, but I wonder what they liked. Just a guess- but I think the Yanks may believe that they have found their next Randy Velarde. Drury has taken 400+ ABs the last two seasons- and has been at least average. His bat might also be just enough that when the Yanks decide to rest Gardner and slide Stanton or Judge to LF, Drury could DH.

Fair points. I’d like to see Sanchez in the DH on the days that they play both of the big fellas in the corner OF, but point taken on the versatility.

good eye and ear so I'm wondering what Drury has to do with Austin? Who do the Yanks have that can play first base as backup or in case Bird is out for a while. Seems Drury will be playing IF as the Yanks have too many OFs. Both Austin and Drury can play OF, but with six other actual outfielders on the roster, I see neither playing outfield (Hicks, Ells, Gardner, Stanton, Judge and Frazier). Is it a possible prelude to another trade, say Gardner (or hopefully Ellsbury or both) to open up the outfield and cut payroll?

middle infielders and RH RP's in the Yankees' system that Solak and Widener were not likely to see the light of day in MLB any time soon on the Yanks. Don't know much about Drury but what I read makes sense - plays both 2B and 3B, has played some SS and played some 1B in the minors. (Also outfield but I don't think the Yanks will need him there.) Kind of a super-sub in the field, and has some pop at the plate. Even still has some options for AAA. Gives more flexibility whatever happens with Torres and Andujar.

Drury looks like he only hits at home .

and this deal.

Dead wrong on that one, weren't you?

points out the Yanks' new 3B coach Phil Nevin was Drury's manager at AAA not long ago, so there's some familiarity there.
Sherman - ( New Window )

not sure why anyone would dislike it that much. Well, unless you're a fan of all Yankees prospects and hate the idea of them giving any of them up. At worst, Drury seems like a great depth/bench piece. He can also step in and play right away if Torres and Andujar aren't quite ready. And it won't hurt to keep him as a backup when they are ready. Plus he's young enough that he can still improve a little and he can be a cost controlled depth piece for a few years. There's not much to dislike unless you think he'll flop away from Arizona or if you were super high on Solak.

He knows what he's doing and how to evaluate talent.

Solak is probably going to be a pretty good hitter, but he is still a work in progress at 2B. Let's face it...he's blocked big time at 2B. Torres, Wade and Estrada are all ahead of him and now you can add Drury to the list. I would have preferred to hold onto Widener, but you have to give something to get something. So what did they get in Drury? The got a young, cheap, versatile player with 289 MLB games under his belt. He can play 2B, 3B, LF and RF. Hope they give him a few innings at 1B to round out his skill set. Career .271 hitter with some pop. At the very least, he is insurance should Torres or Andujar need more time in the minors. If the kids are legit, he can either become the super utility guy or even a tradable asset next season.

Drury. What seems obvious,at least to me me,is that Torreyes is not being looked at as a backup infielder on the 25. What's interesting is that both are 25,& have the same arbitration & FA dates. Drury has more power between the 2 while Torreyes is deemed the better fielder,base runner.Last year,particularly in April, Torreyes was irreplaceable,filling in for Didi & Castro. Seems like he's far from irreplaceable this year!

Drury is a league average player right now but could get better (only 25) and can play a lot of positions. Better than our current utility guys and fills a hole until Gleyber or Andujar get called up. Drury is definitely a utility player on a championship team

The Yankees make a trade some people on BBI always bitch about the guy the Yankees gave up. It never fails no matter who the player is.. I even seen it after the Stanton trade people actually complained they gave up
Castro and even Devers because they said he could be as good as his brother. I highly doubt any of these guys the Yankees have gave up in trades the last two years will turn out to be Jay Buhner and Al Lieter

In comment 13837723 dpinzow said:

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Drury is a league average player right now but could get better (only 25) and can play a lot of positions. Better than our current utility guys and fills a hole until Gleyber or Andujar get called up. Drury is definitely a utility player on a championship team

I agree that Drury,at the least,will be the utility player. My question than becomes,do the Yankees keep 12 or 13 pichers? On the bench Romine, Ellsbury, are givens.If Drury is a utility guy than you have only 1 roster spot-pitcher or bench.If he is a starter & Andujar and/or Torres is sent down, do you keep Torreyes (particularly since he can play SS,Drury can't),Austin (back up 1B) or does Wade make the 25?

In comment 13837713 TheMick7 said:

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Drury. What seems obvious,at least to me me,is that Torreyes is not being looked at as a backup infielder on the 25. What's interesting is that both are 25,& have the same arbitration & FA dates. Drury has more power between the 2 while Torreyes is deemed the better fielder,base runner.Last year,particularly in April, Torreyes was irreplaceable,filling in for Didi & Castro. Seems like he's far from irreplaceable this year!

IMO Torreyes is still very much in their plans. Drury essentially replaces Todd Frazier. Maybe not as good, but not as expensive and won’t block Andujar when he’s ready.

I think the guy who’s roster spot Drury may take is Tyler Austin. Which leaves us thin at 1B, maybe Drury can backup there too?

I suspect they start Andujar and Torres in the minors at first, for the extra year until free agency purpose as well as giving them a little more seasoning. Then when each is ready they figure out who gets bumped for them.

And maybe Cashman can pull a rabbit out of a hat and foist Ellsbury on someone?

In comment 13837726 TheMick7 said:

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IIf Drury is a utility guy than you have only 1 roster spot-pitcher or bench.If he is a starter & Andujar and/or Torres is sent down, do you keep Torreyes (particularly since he can play SS,Drury can't),Austin (back up 1B) or does Wade make the 25?

Good question. I think Drury will be a starter to begin with, most likely at 3B which the Yankees apparently think is his best position. Torreyes probably stays because he can play SS, but sooner or later one or both of Austin and Wade will be at risk. Drury can definitely play 2B and if you read the linked Sherman article, apparently 1B as well.

.

In comment 13837736 Del Shofner said:

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In comment 13837726 TheMick7 said: Quote: IIf Drury is a utility guy than you have only 1 roster spot-pitcher or bench.If he is a starter & Andujar and/or Torres is sent down, do you keep Torreyes (particularly since he can play SS,Drury can't),Austin (back up 1B) or does Wade make the 25? Good question. I think Drury will be a starter to begin with, most likely at 3B which the Yankees apparently think is his best position. Torreyes probably stays because he can play SS, but sooner or later one or both of Austin and Wade will be at risk. Drury can definitely play 2B and if you read the linked Sherman article, apparently 1B as well.

If Drury becomes the backup 1B as well, he'll have to learn the position in ST. Hs played 1 inning at 1B for the D'Backs in 2016

at 1B as a 19 year old in single A.

Torres or Andujar not being ready and a guy that you won't have a problem benching if they are. And if there's a long term injury at 2B or 3B then you don't have to put up with Torreyes bat in the lineup every day. Drury is what they tried to turn Refsnyder into but he couldn't play anywhere credibly, much less hit to league avg like Drury.

Solak and Widener are decent prospects but not gonna help the Yankees anytime soon, or perhaps ever.

Mainly I like it because he's a cheap 3B or 2B and lets us maybe spend on a pitcher and then wait for Machado in the offseason.

In comment 13837741 TheMick7 said:

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If Drury becomes the backup 1B as well, he'll have to learn the position in ST. Hs played 1 inning at 1B for the D'Backs in 2016

According to RAB, Drury played some first base in the minors

every team could use a guy like that.

but was very much blocked in this system at 2B. Plus we are well stocked with RHP, so we dealt from a position of strength.

Drury seems to be a good fit for YS and word was Cashman was after him all winter, so you have to figure the analytics staff had info on him that they liked. I'm good with it.

In comment 13837768 Greg from LI said:

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In comment 13837741 TheMick7 said: Quote: If Drury becomes the backup 1B as well, he'll have to learn the position in ST. Hs played 1 inning at 1B for the D'Backs in 2016 According to RAB, Drury played some first base in the minors

As I posted above,55 games in 2012 as a 19 year old in 2012. But,except for that single inning in 2016,he hasn't played it since!

Cashman is moving some minor league pieces for a young versatile player with MLB experience to fill a need. Might as well use the minor league pieces before you lose them to the Rule 5 draft and get little in return. Way to go Cash. Keep up the good work.

Now sign Lance Lynn to a 3 year deal and we're all set.

Drury is a solid player who is good in the clubhouse. Even with Torres and Andújar ready to dip their toes in the water and deserve a shot on the team, they should still be brought up slowly and eased into the baptism of the big leagues. Drury adds a valuable security blanket who is an above average player without excessive cost....hell, at no cost by the looks of things (600-700k a year).

My belief is this: Yanks have every intention of signing Manny Machado next year when he will be a free agent and Machodo wants badly to put on the pinstripes and be part of the Yanks bash boys. Drury is insurance and can back up several positions once Machado is a bone fide Yankee - which you can take that signing to the bank! This also means that the Yanks will probably deal Andújar for a young starting pitcher at some point unless there is some bizarre injury or unforeseen accident within the infield crop.

Just my 2 cents while looking through my cloudy crystal ball

and Toe's fielding. But Wad may slide into that function.

If the Yankees are going to sign Machado, it will be to play shortstop. He's going to play SS for the Orioles this year, and he's made it clear that he considers himself a shortstop. Drury gives them flexibility - if they aren't convinced Andujar is ready, they can send him back to Scranton and start Drury at third. If they are sold on Andujar this year, then Drury can back up the corners and be in the mix to start at second.

That's a deal breaker for me. If I am going to sign Machado to a massive contract, I want him playing 3B. The rigors of playing SS every day will affect Machado over the course of the season and over a long contract. If Machado wants to play for the Yankees....he can do it at 3B.

(assuming he will, which seems highly likely) he will take over 3B, sure as the sun sets in the west.

No way the Yanks are moving Didi so a hard hitting, sure handed 3rd baseman can toy with playing SS. Machado really, really wants to be a Yank (if you can believe beat writers), then he'll do whatever the team asks. Remember when ARod was a SS and planned on staying at short? Didn't happen!

Drury’s the everyday third baseman. Said they’ve been trying to acquire him for years and three different regimes in Arizona. Don’t view him as a Ben Zobrist type - he’s a 3B and maybe some backup 1B.

In comment 13838294 mavric said:

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(assuming he will, which seems highly likely) he will take over 3B, sure as the sun sets in the west. No way the Yanks are moving Didi so a hard hitting, sure handed 3rd baseman can toy with playing SS.

Toy with? He was solely a shortstop in the minor leagues (200+games) and played 52 games at short last season. The Orioles moved him to third when he came up because they had JJ Hardy at SS and no one at third.

In comment 13838381 Greg from LI said:

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In comment 13838294 mavric said: Quote: (assuming he will, which seems highly likely) he will take over 3B, sure as the sun sets in the west. No way the Yanks are moving Didi so a hard hitting, sure handed 3rd baseman can toy with playing SS. Toy with? He was solely a shortstop in the minor leagues (200+games) and played 52 games at short last season. The Orioles moved him to third when he came up because they had JJ Hardy at SS and no one at third.

THIS is the correct answer.

Machado is NOT a natural 3B- as noted above, the O's had Hardy and were not going to bump a vet for a rookie.

Let’s hope they will play him if he outperforms Drury in the spring.

In comment 13838402 Jim in Hoboken said:

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Let’s hope they will play him if he outperforms Drury in the spring.

I think that this is a sign that they want to slow down the clock on Andujar- i.e.- delay his FA by a year- and if Drury plays well enough, to delay his arbitration clock too.

This suspiciously looks like an attempt to "motivate" Andujar and Torres to force the Yanks to move them to NY. I think both will in the end- after the Yanks have kept them in the minors long enough to delay FA and they get hot.

In comment 13837968 adamg said:

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Quote: Sweeny Murti Sweeny Murti @YankeesWFAN Talked to more folks about Drury. Consensus is that despite his flexibility, he is best suited to be a 3B and may find more comfort offensively at one spot. One scout called him a “huge upgrade” over Headley, good defender, with gap power that will play well at Yankee Stadium

A stump would be an upgrade over Headley so yeah, Drury is a hugh upgrade.

I doubt the Yankees would be so brazen to call him up immediately after they lock in that extra year of service time, so we're probably looking at a good three weeks in the minors - roughly 20 games, or 1/8 of the season. Last year we lost the division by two games. I don't want to be over-dramatic about it, but we should really bring the best team to Toronto at the end of March. Every game counts.

In comment 13838402 Jim in Hoboken said:

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Let’s hope they will play him if he outperforms Drury in the spring.

They won't! Drury is now a "Cashman guy" Andujar lost his opportunity before he even had a chance to go after it!

In comment 13838493 TheMick7 said:

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They won't! Drury is now a "Cashman guy" Andujar lost his opportunity before he even had a chance to go after it!

That's a bit much.

In comment 13838501 Greg from LI said:

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In comment 13838493 TheMick7 said: Quote: They won't! Drury is now a "Cashman guy" Andujar lost his opportunity before he even had a chance to go after it! That's a bit much.

I just listened to Cashman on Kay-no it isn't!

For a minute there I thought it was Machado we acquired. Probably a combination - he likes the player, and was looking to buy a little time on Andujar anyway.

In comment 13838393 rich in DC said:

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In comment 13838381 Greg from LI said: Quote: In comment 13838294 mavric said: Quote: (assuming he will, which seems highly likely) he will take over 3B, sure as the sun sets in the west. No way the Yanks are moving Didi so a hard hitting, sure handed 3rd baseman can toy with playing SS. Toy with? He was solely a shortstop in the minor leagues (200+games) and played 52 games at short last season. The Orioles moved him to third when he came up because they had JJ Hardy at SS and no one at third. THIS is the correct answer. Machado is NOT a natural 3B- as noted above, the O's had Hardy and were not going to bump a vet for a rookie.

Machado played 3rd base (almost exclusively) with the Orioles for 6 years. He's done a fine job at the hot corner, in fact, he's a "natural" (as if that's a real thing). Yeah, his ego wants to play the more "glory-position" of a skinny/quick and nimble SS (ala Didi), but his years in the majors has been dedicated to manning third base where he has won 2 gold gloves including a platinum glove. Perhaps he thinks he can make more money because he can play the shortstop position when he's on the market, but he'll play where the manager wants him to play after pulling in nearly a third of a billion dollars to play ball. Sorry, but he's not the second coming of Ozzie Smith

Sanchez did. I am all for competition and understand that you can’t hand jobs to unproven rookies when you have championship aspirations, but I would hate for Andujar to be buried behind a Cashman pet project. In the old days, though the Yanks didn’t have prospects of this caliber, a lot of their prospects would become AAAA players from the constant Columbus shuffle.

Did Cash really say Drury is already penciled in as the starting 3B?

but made it very clear Drury has the edge, citing his experience and success at the big league level. He made it pretty obvious that Drury is the guy at 3B. Also dismissed the notion of him being a jack-of-all-trades.

administrations to acquire Drury. As was said,they view him as the 3B & when asked about his 10 errors last year,Cashman cited the fast field in Arizona using Brandon McCarthy as a comparison on how,as a ground ball pitcher, he became a better pitcher w/the Yankees,on Yankee Stadium turf.

for a bag of balls or something. He was DFA'd earlier this week when Drury was acquired.