A not-so-old face is back in the organization.
This afternoon, the Whtie Sox announced they are bringing back infielder Brandon Drury on a minor-league contract and assigning him to extended Spring Training.
Drury originally signed a minor league deal with the White Sox on February 7th. Over 10 MLB seasons with the Diamondbacks, Yankees, Blue Jays, Mets, Reds, Padres, and most recently the Angels, Drury has compiled a career slash line of .245/.296/.421.
The infielder got off to an impressive start this spring, slashing .410/.439/.821 with three home runs and positioning himself as the likely starting second baseman on Opening Day. However, the White Sox made a move that surprised many fans by cutting Drury shortly before Opening Day rosters were finalized. This decision was made due to Drury’s fractured thumb – an injury that would have prevented him from making the roster out of Arizona. For the White Sox to keep Drury under his original minor-league deal, the team would’ve had to add him to their 40-man roster, put him on the IL, and DFA another player on their roster to do so. Rather than do this, the White Sox simply cut Drury and brought him back on a restructured deal.
So, while fans around the league were originally confused by the decision, it’s something that wasn’t too out of the ordinary and made the most sense for roster construction.
While Spring Training numbers are historically flukey at best, Drury’s track record of past success and offseason changes make him someone to keep an eye on once healthy. The biggest change: he increased his bat speed by about five miles per hour this offseason while working with Ryan Fuller and the White Sox’ hitting staff.
With the White Sox offense struggling in the first nine games, someone with Drury’s power would be a welcome sight once eventually healthy.
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Featured Image: Chicago White Sox / X (Twitter)
