The White Sox announced this morning that they’ve released infielder Brandon Drury. As an article XX(B) free agent, Drury had the opportunity to opt out and test free agency this weekend if he was not added to Chicago’s 40-man roster. Notably, Scott Merkin of MLB.com was among those to note yesterday that the infielder recently suffered a thumb fracture, which left him poised to miss the beginning of the season.
Drury, 32, suffered through a brutal season with the Angels last year where he hit just .169/.242/.228 in 97 games, which led him to sign a minor league deal with the White Sox last month. Drury’s time in camp with Chicago could hardly have gone better, however, and his incredible .410/.439/.821 slash line in 41 trips to the plate this spring seemingly made him a lock for the club’s Opening Day roster until his aforementioned fractured thumb threw those plans off course. It’s surely a frustrating situation for both Drury himself and the White Sox, with Chicago now poised to rely on some combination of Lenyn Sosa, Josh Rojas, Nick Maton, and Jacob Amaya up the middle with Drury no longer in the fold, though top prospect Colson Montgomery could force himself into the lineup at some point this year.
As for Drury, he’ll return to free agency coming off that phenomenal spring performance in hopes of catching on with another club with whom he can rehab his thumb injury and eventually return to lineup. Prior to his disastrous 2024 season, Drury enjoyed a solid stretch of three seasons with the Mets, Reds, Padres, and Angels where he slashed .263/.313/.493 with a wRC+ of 118 in 314 games, showing he can provide above average offensive production while handling either second or third base when he’s on. Whether or not he’ll be able to return to that quality production in 2025 once his thumb has healed remains to be seen, but it would hardly be a shock to see a club in need of infield depth offer him an opportunity in the coming days.
The Brewers are one example of a club that’s thin at third base, while the Astros could theoretically use some extra depth at the keystone after moving Jose Altuve to left field. The Yankees are also known to be in the market to upgrade their infield mix, while teams like the Mets and Twins have suffered injuries to key infield pieces this spring. Any of those clubs could be at least speculative fits for Drury’s services, though assuming he’s willing to take another non-roster deal it’s not hard to imagine a number of clubs being able to find playing time for him at Triple-A as a versatile depth option.
Do the WSox actually have better options?
If he was healthy absolutely not, but tough luck with injury after a great spring.
Typical Sox move. Drury is the one middle infielder in camp who can hit above his weight. The team seems to love guys who can’t hit.
Except Drury exercised the option. Sox didn’t want to add him to the 40 man w the injury. Did you not read the story?
Wow, after that spring? He should catch on somewhere rather quick.
Brandon Drury fractured his left thumb. An optimistic return to MLB readiness after healing and rehabbing his non-throwing thumb might be mid-May.
Ah gotcha
Drury was a disaster for the Yankees which means Cashman has already contacted his agent. Don’t do it, Brian!
I’d say the Angels might take another shot but they only sign guys right before they get injured, never after.
How can the Tigers not even be mentioned? Sign him cheap, rehab him, send him to Toledo to get in some games, and if he looks washed, cut him. How Vierling recovers is unknown. Ibanez looked bad at 3B last year, as did McKinstry. This is a cheap gamble.
I like that signing better than Margot!
Did his thumb fall off? Or the Sox just couldn’t wait the month or so for it to heal?
Yeah, a bit odd since its not like he was trying to get onto a contending team. However Hand and finger injuries typically mean the player will have a hard time hitting for the rest of the season while trying to heal so Im guessing they are just seeing that as an issue to just release him. Shame as he was killing it in the spring.
That and sounds like Drury exercised the option to be released. I wouldn’t waste a 40 man slot either w the injury. If he’s healthy later they could always add him then
I agree except Drury with one thumb is better than 80% of their lineup.
Exactly. Their hitting is so lame, why wouldn’t they let him rehab? Are they THAT cheap???
The are! Reinsdork is ridiculously cheep. I see Manford is trying to force the Rays to sell their team. Reinsdork must have something compromising on the MLB Commissioner for his silence on a horribly run White Sox team.
Is everyone missing the part about 40 man and player exercising the option? Some people would rather just vent. It’s a journeyman nri, not Rod Carew
“Except Drury exercised the option. Sox didn’t want to add him to the 40 man w the injury. Did you not read the story?”
You keep saying this. As if this should be framed as a decision by the player, not the team.
The decision of the player, is a result of the team. I would not add him to the 40 man either with the injury.
It’s a strange take you have that I have never heard before, except in real life when part of an organization or management. “We cut his vacation, he quit. Strange that. But it was his decision.”
Update: word behind the scenes is that while the Sox are working out a 40 man roster crunch, necessitated by the Drew Thorpe TJ surgery that resulted in a Rule 5 claim of another potential starting pitcher, the team intends to follow up with Drury in a few weeks. The minor league contract came with a binding opt-out. While Drury is free to sign with any team, there’s apparently mutual interest in potentially signing another contract. So for those clamoring for a 32 yr old journeyman on a team more focused on prospects, unsoil your tidy whideys
What are tidy whideys?
Is that some meta-level pun, or did you just not know it’s Tighty Whities?
Dunno. Youll be the arbiter of that.
Could see the Red’s give him another go. With Steer on IL this would make sense.
He had that one nice stretch where every hit had to find a hole by magic, don’t be the team that gets caught holding the bag.
Get hurt,get released.
Great spring numbers, bad timing on injury, but he surely will find a home as heals.
Although when the WS release you is not a good look.
Or is it a good look???
He would have been their #3 hitter, unreal.
Why didn’t the Sox just put him on the disabled list list?
Because he’s not yet on the 40 man. He was a NRI.
Had the White Sox kept Drury, he likely would be in the starting lineup once the thumb heals. But, should a team like the White Sox use a roster spot on Drury considering they are coming off of a season where they lost the most games in modern day history? Drury is over 30 years in age. A team in total rebuild like the White Sox should use roster spots for players in their early to mid-20s as much as possible.
Paying customers might disagree.
Like the Sox care what paying customers think
Yankees. They liked him before and are looking for a righty bat at third.
Bad move. Getz is in over his head.
He’s injured, they already have Vargas, Rojas, Sosa and A4 players for 3B
Who’s their DH? Ramos?
Will V said they are doing a rotating DH.
No offense, but a rotating DH is like closer by committee… it means you don’t have one.
Well that’s probably better than have Eloy being the DH.
The smart move would’ve been to hold onto Drury—stick him on the injured list or in the minors—because he could’ve been a big help later.
An article in another publication stated that Drury added 4.7 mph to his swing over the winter and hit .417 this Spring. Seems like a contending team would take a flier on him and stash him on the IL until he heals.