The New York Yankees took a flier on Stephen Drew last season to help out at shortstop and second base during Derek Jeter's final season, but proved that he was not the answer long-term for them. Now, he is a free agent and once again scaring off potential suitors with big contract demands.
The Yankees looked like a club that may have shown interest with Jeter retiring, but instead swung a deal for 23-year-old Didi Gregorius , who didn't hit much in 2014 but flashed a nice glove and has age on his side.
Drew, on the other hand, hit a combined .162 with the Red Sox and Yankees last year, was far less valuable defensively than he had been in 2013, and is reportedly asking for $9-10 million in 2015.
One executive told The New York Post that Drew barely resembled a player who had a place in MLB, and even granted Drew the excuse of starting in the middle of the season without spring training.
"Fine, you want to say June and July [last year] were spring training for him, well, how about August or September? There was never a time in which he looked like a major league hitter. The ball didn't come off his bat well, there was zero consistency. Nothing."
According to The Post, there are a number of teams interested in him too if he'd lower his asking price. The New York paper mentioned the Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland A's, Chicago White Sox, and Los Angeles Angels as suitors for Drew's services. It's also mentioned that these clubs view him as a candidate to be their primary second baseman, not their everyday shortstop.
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