Nationals re-sign Stephen Drew to 1-year deal

The Nationals have agreed to bring back infielder Stephen Drew, as first reported by Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. Per FanRag’s Jon Heyman, the one-year deal is worth $3.5 million and includes $1.2 million in additional incentives.

Drew garnered interest from the Angels and other clubs this winter, though the Nats were seen as a likely fit after trading Danny Espinosa to the Halos in December. Drew will serve as a backup middle infielder behind Daniel Murphy and Trea Turner, who will shift back to shortstop after the club’s acquisition of center-fielder Adam Eaton.

Drew spent last season with Washington, hitting a solid .266/.339/.524 with eight homers in 70 games after signing a one-year, $3 million deal with the club last January. The soon-to-be 34-year old spent time at second base, shortstop and third base in his first season as a National.

Drew is a veteran of 11 major-league seasons with the Diamondbacks (2006-12), Athletics (2012), Red Sox (2013-14), Yankees (2014-15) and Nationals (2016). He is a lifetime .252/.318/.424 hitter with 122 homers in that span despite struggling to hit above .200 in 2014 and 2015.