Angels ink Brandon Drury to two-year, $17 million deal
The Los Angeles Angels have added another power bat to their lineup, inking utility player Brandon Drury to a two-year contract.
Coming off a career year, Drury's contract is said to be around $17 million. The deal was first reported by ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Now 30, Drury put up career high numbers in nearly every major offensive category in 2022, including 28 homers and 87 RBIs to the tune of a .263 batting average and .813 OPS. He began the year on the Cincinnati Reds before being traded to the San Diego Padres at the trade deadline in exchange for minor league prospect Victor Acosta.
Drury had signed a minor league deal with the Reds ahead of the year before turning into one of the league's biggest surprises, earning the Silver Slugger Award for the National League utility player position, manning all four infield positions, as well as right field in 138 games.
Drury made his big league debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2015, who selected in the 13th round of the 2010 MLB Draft. After putting up above average numbers at the plate in 2016 and 2017, Drury bounced around between teams that included the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and New York Mets, opting for free agency after he was designated for assignment near the end of the 2021 season.
In eight big league seasons, he's a career .252 hitter with 79 total home runs and 277 runs driven in, a .302 OBP and 736 OPS.
With the Halos already acquiring Gio Urshela and Hunter Renfroe ahead of the 2023 campaign, it will be interesting to see where Drury fits in the lineup that already consists of other offensive dynamos like Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani and Taylor Ward.
