Evaluating the Starters: SS Stephen Drew
Welcome to Boston Stephen Drew, may your time be much more memorable then your brothers. This offseason the Boston Red Sox signed a replacement for Mike Aviles as a transition to Jose Iglesias. Seeing the last name Drew on the back of a Red Sox jersey will make me cringe, just the thought of it gives me the chills. Drew does have potential in Boston, but the likelihood of him performing better then Aviles did last year are slim.
Last season Drew began the year with the Oakland Athletics, before being traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Drew played in only 79 games last season, his lowest since 2006, his rookie season. He hit 7 home runs and compiled 28 RBI's. In 287 at bats he got 64 hits for an average of .223. Defensively his numbers are not much more impressive, starting only 75 games between the two clubs. He had 282 total chances, with 190 assists and 8 errors. He was part of 42 double plays and had a fielding percentage of .972.
Drew needs to perform much better while with the Red Sox. It is likely that he will be splitting time with Iglesias on the field and will need to perform well to keep getting the majority of the starts.
Drew needs to hit between .230-.250 to be successful. He is expected to be at the bottom of the lineup, either the 7 or 8 spot and if he hits on the lower end of this range he may fall to the 9 spot. Drew's RBI's will not be a high number but a number that must increase is runs scored. Last season Drew only scored 38 runs, while this season Drew must score 50+ runs to help the team. Drew will most likely not be a fan favorite in Boston, partially because of his brothers reputation, but also because he will not put up the exceptional stats that are needed to be a favorite.