The $189 million leash has been released and now anyone is fair game
The Yankees just signed the apple of their offseason's eye in Masahiro Tanaka, but the spending might not be done just yet. It was believed they would call it an offseason after spending over $400 million in a matter of months, but the team still has several major holes, especially in the infield. Jon Heyman says that the Yankees are eyeing a run at Stephen Drew.
Speaking to sources, Heyman reports that "while there doesn't seem to be a push for another top starter or reliever, Drew is one free agent the Yankees are at least weighing, according to people familiar with their thinking...Although the Yankees apparently aren't quite a bottomless pit of cash; a possible run at Drew "depends on the price" according to a person familiar with their thinking." The Red Sox have reportedly shown an interest in making a multi-year commitment to Drew, but if the Yankees can get him cheap, they might have to pull the trigger.
The Yankees have said that if they were going to go over the $189 million budget they set for themselves, they would prefer to go way over. Right now they're only a couple million dollars over the threshold, so a Drew signing could help them get as much out of their financial might as possible.
With many questions surrounding Derek Jeter, Brian Roberts, and a lack of options at third base, adding Stephen Drew could prove to solve all these problems in 2014 and beyond. The Yankees would need him to fill in where he can this season, but beyond that, with Jeter's career winding down, Drew could be seen as a permanent solution at short. The organization is barren when it comes to shortstop prospects, or infield prospects of any kind for that matter. The Yankees reportedly wanted Drew to play third base in 2013, but he chose the Red Sox to stay at his natural position. With the market for him being completely barren, he might not have much of an option at this point.
It's still unlikely that they pull the trigger on a deal with Drew, unless the the market completely falls apart on him. The Yankees have already given up all their first-round picks, so they would only need to give up a second-round draft pick to sign him. The value of such a pick is so much lower than a first-round, so it could be worth it. Still, in that scenario, the team would essentially be punting the 2014 MLB Draft.
