The Cincinnati Reds appear to have signed Brandon Drury. Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported that he has a locker in the clubhouse. The club announced that the deal was a minor league deal with an invite to big league camp.
The 29-year-old split his 2021 season between Triple-A and with the Mets in the big leagues. In the big leagues he played in 51 games but only managed to squeeze out 88 plate appearances. He hit fine in those opportunities, though, posting a .274/.307/.476 line with 5 doubles and 4 home runs. He did only walk 3 times and he struck out 22 times during that stretch. In Triple-A with Syracuse he played in 56 games and picked up 236 plate appearances. Over that span he hit .257/.318/.449 with 14 doubles and 9 home runs while walking 19 times and striking out 49 times.
Defensively he saw action at 1st base, 2nd base, 3rd base, left field, and right field while playing for the Reds last season. He even pitched in a game for New York. In past seasons he has played a tiny amount of shortstop and given the current situation behind Kyle Farmer, that little bit of experience could be of some sort of value.
Reds sent Allen Cordoba to MiLB camp
Prior to the game today the Cincinnati Reds announced that utility player Allen Cordoba was reassigned to minor league camp.
Weekend starters announced
The game notes for Monday included the Reds probable starters being added through the weekend. After the only off day of the spring on Friday we’ll see Hunter Greene pitch on Saturday against the San Francisco Giants and then on Sunday it will be Tony Santillan taking the mound against the Colorado Rockies. That’s going to make eight starts to kick off spring training and none of them going to either Luis Castillo or Mike Minor. In a shortened spring training that doesn’t feel ideal. That said, as veterans, they can go pitch in a game back on the minor league fields to get their work in while the younger guys get innings in front of the manager and pitching coach against some big leaguers to give them at least a little bit of better information to work with as they attempt to make the best decision on who will make the team and who will head back to the minor leagues.
Good for Brandon Drury! He picked the right team to sign with if he wants a shot to play in the major leagues.
He bats right handed.
Another game changing acquisition. I can’t see how the Reds can fail to make the playoffs. They are kind of like a halfway house for castoffs and just like the real world, these pickups have a very high recidivism rate – eventually back to the obscurity they enjoyed before the Reds gave them yet another chance. We’ve seen this pattern with the Reds for too long.
AMEN
He doesn’t look that bad. I mean I wouldn’t start printing play-off tickets but he has had a couple decent seasons at the major league level.
I get that we all would rather the Reds sign Michael Conforto, but really that would be a waste of money how things stand now.
This guy is not bad pick up as long as he doesn’t get 500 at bats.
In isolation, I would agree with you – not bad. Unfortunately, the couple of years, this type of pickup has been the norm and the list of failed rehab/turnaround acquisitions is huge. And how many are still with the club?
Does someone in the front office have a thing for third basemen?
Buddy Bell’s wife?
That’s an awesome comment I got a belly laugh from that Thank you. Sparky but true.
Lol… well-played, sir.
I find myself hoping for a Tommy Pham signing. He probably won’t be too expensive, since he’s had 2 down years for the Padres, but at the same time, he’s got real bounceback potential. And he’s right-handed, which I think would add a little balance to the lineup.
Who’s with me? Pham for everyday LF!
I wonder if things have fallen through with Johnny Cueto? Or if it was just a rumor started by the Red’s front office?
I was actually kinda exciting about his signing. Almost entirely for nostalgia purposes but still.
Rollin, rollin, rollin, keep those has beens rollin, keep those signings goin, rawhide!
Drury is coming to a dreary place.
You guys are killing me again. 🙂
Kuddos to krall. He wasn’t lying about being iNvOlVeD in the free agent market. Go Reds!!!
Two things stand out for me: 1). What an odd hobby it is to follow a baseball team that infuriates you and to comment on it extensively. 2). How unusual it is for multiple people to know what another person thinks–in this case, a person they do not know: A person who is the manager of the team they follow despite (because) it infuriates them.
What stands out to me is why anyone is surprised that people share their opinions on social media. It’s kinda what people do.