Jon Heyman reports that the Red Sox have reached an agreement with shortstop Stephen Drew on a one-year deal for $9.5 million.
Thanks in part to recovery from an ankle injury Drew hit just .223/.309/.348 in 327 plate appearances this past season between the D’Backs and A’s, but he drew interest from several teams, including Tigers, Yankees and Athletics. But the Red Sox have him and, as Heyman notes, will use him as a stopgap between now and the time when either Jose Iglesias or Xander Bogaerts are ready.
It’s been a busy winter so far for the Red Sox, who, in addition to Drew, have signed Shane Victorino, Ryan Dempster, David Ross and Mike Napoli.