Brandon Drury has widely been seen as one of the top trade candidates of deadline season, and the Reds infielder seems even more likely to change teams now that a contract extension doesn’t appear to be happening. As Reds GM Nick Krall told MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon, a long-term deal between Drury and the Reds is “not on the table as of right now.”
It frankly would’ve counted as a surprise if an extension was signed, for a variety of factors. The Reds have already traded Luis Castillo and Tommy Pham as the latest in a series of cost-cutting/rebuilding moves, and it stands to reason that Drury (a free agent after the season) was a natural next piece to be moved, particularly since Drury has drawn interest from at least four teams to date.
2022 has also been easily Drury’s best full season as a Major Leaguer, as he entered today’s action with 20 home runs and a .275/.336/.523 slash line over 381 plate appearances. Drury has more than delivered on the minor league contract he signed with the Reds back in March, which could be another reason why a trade is likelier than an extension — Cincinnati might prefer to sell high on Drury, rather than commit some notable money to a late bloomer who is just weeks away from his 30th birthday.
Still, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal raised the possibility of a Drury extension in a notes column yesterday. It isn’t uncommon for teams to engage in some last-minute extension talks with pending free agents in advance of the trade deadline, as just in case the player is open to more of a team-friendly deal to stay in town. Given Drury’s lack of a proven track record, he might well have been amenable to an extension, in order to lock in some guaranteed money and some stability after playing for five teams in eight MLB seasons.
Good! Trade him to the Braves with Mahle for Ozuna.
Why on earth would the reds want Ozuna?
Very funny. The Reds will trade you Moustakas for Ozuna if you throw in 2 prospects.
Honestly, that swap crossed my mind at some point. However, no way the Braves include prospects. Ozuna has more value than Moose.
Reds want players for the future not vets. If they wanted vets they would keep the ones they got
The Reds want players they don’t have to actually pay. There fixed it for you.
I don’t get the hate for Ozuna as a player (personal issues not withstanding). He’s a DH playing in a league that now has a DH so he doesn’t hurt the Braves defensively and he’s on pace for 30 HR’s. His salary doesn’t handcuff the team at all.
Clearly you are not watching or following the Braves if you think he is not playing or hurting them defensively.
Rsox, you answered your own question. He has negative value defensively, and with his 84 OPS+, he also has negative value offensively. He carries a -0.9 WAR and he’s under contract for 2 more years.
Hitting home runs is literally the only thing he does to create value. He’s batting .219 and posting a .671 OPS, just awful numbers for a player whose sole job is to hit. If he was a defensive standout, you could try to overlook that kind of performance, but in a designated hitter?
The Mets should of kept Drury last year. He was their most clutch hitter. Conforto was the least clutch player they have ever had. They DA’d Drury for Gsellman, who was DA’d a month later and can barely pitch in Triple-A. I said this last year and I was called a moron. Those same people still can’t admit they were wrong
This is not the Drury headline I expected to see.
Mets didn’t want to pay him the ~3M$ he would have made via arbitration. They should have re-signed him to a new minor league deal, after outrighting him, that would have paid him more than the .9M$ the Reds ended up giving him.
Drury is playing on a triple A team in the majors that resides in a sandbox for hitters. Giving him an extension for more than 1 year would not be advisable, but hey, if someone is dumb enough to move a decent prospect for him, I’d do it too.
Why would you say that? Why play your hand. What a Cardinal fan.
Tell me something I don’t know
The lifespan of the ordinary garden slug is between 6-18 months.
Churchill knew about the IJN attacking Pearl Harbor.
The Average American consumes nearly 5 lbs of food a day.
Russia rents an area of Kazakhstan for launching missiles into orbit, as it’s easier as you get closer to the equator. Russia is too far north to successfully launch into space on it’s own soil.
This is the same reason the United States primary uses Florida.
This entire thread is incredibly interesting lmaooo
Quantum effects keep helium from freezing at atmospheric pressure even if you cooled it to absolute zero.
By 2040, India will pass China as the world’s most populous country.
Most polluted country. There, fixed it for you.
A million seconds from right now is 11 days from now. A billion seconds from right now is in 30 years.
Trippy
Toilets flush counter-clockwise in Australia.
You assume Assies flush.
What a dumb statement. Just say “no comment moron”
*”no comment” moron.
*…“No comment.”, moron.
I think either would work depending on the intelligence of the sportswriter that asked him the question.
Weird article. Why would an extension even be a possibility?
There were rumors yesterday that the Reds were working on an extension until it got to the part about the Reds paying Drury an actual salary.
He was so Dreary in his TO stint.
I hate the St Louis Cardinals.
Alright, how much does Drury get fielding offers this winter? 2 years has to be the max guaranteed, right? 5-7M$ per?
2 years 6.5M incentive loaded or 2yr 8M…would be max depends on his last few months 30HR? 80/90rbi?
That’s 5-7M$ more than the Reds are willing to spend.
Nick Krall should have more control over his kids. If my kid was “on the table,” I would tell him to “stop acting like an animal and get off of there or else you’ll get a spanking.”
What a maroon, said Popeye
Nick Krall quick to shoot down rumors that the Reds might actually spend money. That’s crazy talk!
Of course, why would a long-term extension be on the table when he’s about to be traded?!
Welcome to Seattle!!
Hope Drury is still with the Reds on Wednesday, it’s a nice team India, Drury, Senzel, Farmer, Almora Jr., and Stephenson, if Drury can cover 1st and left when De La Cruz and Marte get called up, or keep Drury at third and move De La Cruz to first,
Anyway you play it Drury gives the Reds good roster flexibility, should be a priority for the Reds to sign him.
They keep Mahle and they have three strong starters and Ashcraft is a sneaky good option as a fourth starter.
It’s a team that could compete in the NL Central, to me Drury looks like an important player to have on the roster.
How’s Scooter Gennett doing in Cincinnati?
Same theory, different player.
Buy low, sell high.
Scooter played 2 1/2 season with the Reds, Drury is likely to be less than 1, so different theory. I don’t think anyone in their right mind was thinking a long term contract, but a 2 year or 3 year deal for 12 – 15M seems reasonable.
A Drury extension will likely never be on the table, anywhere. Best he can hope for is a two year deal somewhere as he continues to collect jerseys with his name on them
Avisail Garcia got 4 yrs. 53M, he has had more ABs and has a bigger sample size in terms of full seasons, Drury’s only had four full seasons going into age 30, but they have similar numbers at the plate in terms of power numbers, BAA, OBP and K/BB ratios,
position flexibility is what makes Drury so valuable to a team, he can cover all four infield spots and can play the outfield, his offensive numbers are similar to Garcia’s, I’d say he’ll have plenty of teams interested in signing him in FA, hard to believe the Reds don’t have any plans to extend him, it be a huge loss for the Reds as a team. He earned a good deal this season, that’s what’s it’s all about, especially for players who want to stay with their clubs, should be a good deal for this guy.
Garcia had like 10 career bWAR compared to Drury’s 2 career bWAR. The contract Drury signs isn’t going to be even remotely close to Garcia’s.
If that’s true, it’s even more of a reason to sign him in my opinion because Garcia set the market in 2021 and Drury’s 2022 season is in line or better than Garcia’s career averages.
And as a team you get the defensive flexibility, I’d say Drury will have more than a number of suitors.
He wasn’t in the lineup yesterday, probably getting traded, Reds making a mistake trading him. Could probably sign him 4yrs on a good deal.
4 years? Barf.
Krall is a jerk!
Dude hits a grand slam in his first ab