Most assume the Diamondbacks and shortstop Stephen Drew are breaking up, if not now then in a few months, but GM Kevin Towers said he’s yet to be offered a deal that makes sense for the team, MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert reports.
FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal stated last week that the Pirates, Red Sox and Tigers were interested in Drew, though Buster Olney later tried to debunk the Pirates and Red Sox rumors. Also, the Tigers have since acquired Omar Infante, making the acquisition of another infielder less likely. Oakland would be one obvious destination for Drew, though the A’s may be focusing more on Hanley Ramirez at the moment. The Rays could use some shortstop help, but they’re believed to be aiming lower than Drew and may actually end up acquiring another Diamondbacks infielder, Ryan Roberts.
Another possible fit would be the Nationals. They could use Drew at shortstop until Ian Desmond returns from his oblique injury and then possibly stick him in a utility role afterwards. They’d probably only go for such a deal if the price tag was modest.
Since Drew is still working his way back from last year’s ankle injury and has hit .217 in 17 games since returning to Arizona’s lineup, he’s someone who might clear waivers and get traded next month. In fact, the Diamondbacks might get a better return for him then than they would now, assuming that he starts hitting better with time.