Super agent Scott Boras has given the Blue Jays -- or at least Toronto radio host Jeff Blair -- an offer he believes they can't refuse: Stephen Drew moving to second base in exchange for a long-term contract at the going market rate.
Stephen Drew free agency: SS willing to play 2B for Blue Jays
According to super agent Scott Boras, it appears free agent shortstop Stephen Drew will switch to second base in exchange for long-term deal with Blue Jays
Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports
While this may seem like another case of Boras being Boras, Toronto's second base situation is seen as an almost intractable mess and he knows it. He made it very clear in the interview why he believed his clients were the best fit for the worst team in the AL East, which according to him, has "no second base prospect in their system". This is a view shared by pundits and fans alike; something not lost on Boras, who knows any chance to upgrade will at least be considered by the organization just to show that they're seeking the long-term solution that he claims Drew can be.
That's because the depth chart for the team currently has Maicer Izturis and Ryan Goins written in pencil, with Toronto general manager Alex Anthopoulos looking longingly at the eraser. This desire to upgrade is partially because of Izturis, who at his best once hit for a .300 batting average, but now struggles to make it on base at all with that kind of consistency. However, it's mostly Goins' extremely disappointing debut season. His defense was astounding in a short September burst, but he could barely hit at Triple-A, meaning that glove might never be enough.
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But that doesn’t mean that the team is looking to sign anyone as the solution, with Anthopoulos telling reporters during a recent press conference, “A day ago, I was talking to a club about some trades. Right now through free agency, I’d say no. I would think it’s unlikely that we add someone there but I would say that we’ll still continue to have some dialogue trade wise, see if we can bring someone else in.”
Which explains the hard sell from Boras, who is also trying to get Kendrys Morales a job with the team, using the same strong arm tactics to make his client look desirable: badmouthing current Jays who stand in the way of his client's paydays. Boras goes out of his way to call out recently optioned DH Adam Lind, citing the hitter's weakness against left-handers as the primary reason to sign the switch-hitting Morales and trade Lind for pitching.
How dire the need that Drew would fill for the team is likely to be made clear during the competition in the spring, but unless something changes drastically in the next few weeks it’s clear that the Blue Jays will eventually have to do what no team ever wants to do: take Scott Boras seriously.
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