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The Boston Red Sox have signed shortstop Stephen Drew to a one-year, $9.5 million contract, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports:
The Red Sox have an agreement with shortstop Stephen Drew on a one-year deal, league sources told CBSSports.com.
The Drew signing will allow the Red Sox one more year to develop slick-fielding youngster Jose Iglesias. Drew's deal is pending a physical.
The deal also includes a $500k performance bonus if he reaches 500 plate appearances on the season. Drew has averaged just 340 plate appearances over the past two seasons.
The 29-year-old Drew was a popular name in a thin market for shortstops -- drawing interest from the Athletics, Tigers and Yankees as well as Boston -- but it was unclear how much the lefty hitter would sign for given his down numbers the last two seasons and slow recovery from a serious ankle injury.
Following a solid 2010 season in which he hit .278/.352/.458 with 15 home runs, Drew fractured his ankle and required surgery to repair it. Since then, he has played two half seasons with not great offensive numbers, though he started to pick things up a bit in the second half of 2012 with the Athletics. Despite his improved numbers, Oakland decided to not pick up their side of Drew's $10 million mutual option for next season, leaving the lefty hitter to find a home in free agency.
The addition of Drew will allow the Red Sox another year to help bridge the gap until top prospect Xander Bogaerts is ready to take over at shortstop, and puts the Iglesias into a defensive substitution role that is probably more fitting for his skill set.
