The Yankees were fired a few days into spring 2018 training when they traded for an initial third baseman. GM Brian Cashman thought he had acquired an impact player with untapped potential to get Arizona Diamondbacks Brandon Drury into a three-team deal.
“He has established himself as a key player of quality, but I know he dreams of being even more and that our pro-reconnaissance division has the same visions,” the Yankees Cashman said at the time.
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Nearly three years, much frustration and a change in scenery later, Drury will try to resurrect his sinking career with the Mets, who added two Yankees revivals on Friday.
A day after Francisco Lindor was acquired in an instant trade, the Mets announced Friday that left-handed reliever Stephen Tarpley has been demanded from the Miami Marlins waiver and Drury has been signed for a minor league deal.
Tarpley (27) and Drury (28) will compete for big league spots during the spring practice.
Like Drury, the Yankees were high on Tarpley. They liked his potential when he acquired him from the Pittsburgh Pirates in August 2016 when Tarpley was a prospect, and he later grew on the organization in 2018 when he made his majors debut by three runs over nine innings in to allow ten relay performances.
However, the Yanks made a weakening on Tarpley in 2019 when he had a 6.93 era over 21 outings. He was traded to the Marlins on January 15, 2020 for third baseman James Nelson of minor league, and struggled again last season, winning to an ERA of 9.00 over 12 emergency loans for Miami.
Drury never performed with the Yankees in his half-season, as he started an injured list for a long time due to blurred vision. He hit just 0.176 with one homer in 18 games before being traded to Toronto in July with forward Billy McKinney for pitcher JA Happ.
Drury played 15 homers in 418 innings for 2019 for 120 games for the Blue Jays, but batted just .218. Last year, he scored .152 for Toronto in 21 games before losing his position at the end of August and spending the rest of the season on the Jays ’alternate pitch.
Drury’s stock was high when the Yankees gave up Nick Solak, the prospect on the field, to get Drury, who hit 0.275 for Arizona from 2017-18 with 68 doubles, 29 homers and 116 RBI. After the trade, an MLB scout responded by saying to NJ Advance Media: ‘Damn, the Yankees just got better again! This is a good deal for them. ”
Drury landed on the IL in early April, and by the end of June back, Miguel Andujar was the frontrunner on third base and on his way to a second place finish in the AL Rookie of the Year poll.
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