Brandon Drury was driving from his home in Oregon to spring training in Arizona last March, not knowing whether he was going to sign a minor-league deal with the Angels or the Reds.
Phil Nevin, the Angels’ third-base coach at the time and Drury’s former manager at Triple A, advised him to pick the Reds.
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Nevin wanted the best for Drury, a player he respected, according to people who know them well. He figured Drury would get more playing time with the Reds and benefit from hitting in Great American Ball Park. Drury went on to win a Silver Slugger at the utility position, a stunning achievement for a player who began the season on a non-roster deal. And Tuesday night, he honored his relationship with Nevin, now the Angels’ manager.
Drury, 30, agreed to a two-year, $17 million contract with the Angels, according to sources familiar with the deal but not authorized to speak publicly, as it is still pending a physical. He is not an obvious fit for a team that still lacks a proven shortstop and is deep with other infielders. But from the presence of Nevin, whom one source called a “guiding force” for Drury, to the influence of Drury’s father, Shane, who coached his son and raised him to be an Angels fan, the fit seemed almost preordained.
Free-agent infielder Brandon Drury in agreement with Angels on two-year, $17M contract, pending physical, source tells @TheAthletic.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 21, 2022
Drury and his family, who are from Oregon, went to Disneyland every year and made sure to attend as many Angels games as possible. These trips went from about 2000-2010, the golden era of Angels baseball. Drury became a die-hard Angels fan. The whole family is planning to go back to Disneyland next week for the holidays.
“(It was) a dream team growing up,” Shane Drury said. “Knowing those players, watching those games. The rally monkey. Calling All Angels. It really stuck with him.
“He could probably tell you every player on the team throughout that whole era.”
Angels general manager Perry Minasian appears to be building a team constructed not necessarily with defined positions but more so with super-utility players mixing and matching nightly. After hitting 28 homers and producing an .813 OPS last season for the Reds and Padres, Drury is expected to get 500 plate appearances at multiple positions. A right-handed hitter, he figures to play first base against lefties and get perhaps the bulk of his time at second while also filling in at short and third.
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The Red Sox, Diamondbacks and Marlins were in the mix for Drury, who could have signed with one of those clubs for more money with a one-year opt-out, a source said. But Drury’s connection with Nevin proved pivotal.
Nevin managed Drury with the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate in 2015-16. The Diamondbacks’ farm director then was the late Mike Bell, the younger brother of Reds manager David Bell. In advising Drury to join the Reds, Nevin knew David Bell would give his former player a fair opportunity. Drury also had another connection with the Reds: His agent, Nick Chanock of Wasserman, was roommates at Haverford with Jeff Graupe, the Reds’ senior director of player acquisition and strategy.
Brandon Drury hits a solo home run against the Tampa Bay Rays on July 8. (David Kohl / USA Today)Drury justified Graupe’s trust, playing well enough for the Reds to trade him at the deadline to the Padres for minor-league shortstop Victor Acosta, now the No. 15 prospect in Cincinnati’s deep system, according to MLB.com. It turns out the Angels could have used Drury last season, too. They had an unfillable hole at third base when Anthony Rendon got hurt, and it cost them dearly, as they stumbled to a 73-89 finish. Through it all, Nevin and Drury stayed in contact. And now Drury will exceed his previous career earnings with his 2023 salary alone.
The Angels have been spending more proactively this offseason, particularly on offensive depth. Last year, they acquired Andrew Velazquez and Tyler Wade after each was designated for assignment, and they also signed Matt Duffy for $1.5 million. This offseason they have invested more money in their infield.
Minasian traded for Gio Urshela, who is projected to make $9.2 million in arbitration and will likely have a similar role as Drury. The team also added corner outfielder Hunter Renfroe, projected to earn $11.2 million in arbitration, in a trade with the Brewers.
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The Angels’ $206 million projected payroll, per FanGraphs, would represent their highest payroll ever. That comes against the backdrop of Arte Moreno announcing in August that he is planning to sell the team. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said at the Winter Meetings that the sale could be completed by Opening Day.
Drury might not be the ideal fit for a team that already has players expected to fill a similar role. But he is an everyday hitter in a lineup that desperately needed a major offensive upgrade. And he is reuniting with a manager who had faith in him all along.
(Top photo: Denis Poroy / Getty Images)
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