Brandon Drury scouting report and fit with the Mariners
Brandon Drury was a player that many fans clamored for at last year's trade deadline. Now that Drury is on the open market could Seattle bring him in?
Last summer as the Mariners’ offense continued to struggle, fans began clamoring for an unlikely player to join the roster via trade. Brandon Drury had an awesome season for the Cincinnati Reds, a career year that has completely reset his value.
While the Mariners had no interest in him at the deadline it was not because of Drury himself, but their lack of interest in rental bats. This offseason the Mariners clearly need offense, but have also specified their need for a corner infield bat who could play the corner outfield spots. They would prefer to nab another right-handed bat, so Drury’s fit is too perfect to not take a look at.
The 30-year-old put up a career year in Cincinnati and was traded at the deadline to the Padres where he continued to hit. Now giving a big contract to a 30-year-old coming off a career year is likely not in the cards for Seattle, but depending on what he is looking for the two sides could get a deal done.
One reason why Seattle should have an interest is his positional versatility fits exactly what this team needs. Last season he played third base mostly but also played 30 games at first base and 20 at second base. He even mixed in some time in the outfield and has experience doing so in the past as well.
All of this and the fact that he is a right-handed bat makes him a fit for the specified needs of Jerry Dipoto and Justin Hollander this offseason. Should we believe in Drury coming off a career year at age 30?
Let’s start with the reasons for his success in 2022. The Oregon native slashed .263/.320/.492 for the Reds/Padres last season and also cracked a career high 28 home runs.
The reason for this was a swing change, one that allowed him to find consistent barrels more often. Drury has hit the ball just as hard as he did last year (89.1 MPH), but never at the launch angle he did last season (13.8). By optimizing his contact he was able to hit the ball hard at a better angle, giving himself a good chance for success.
These numbers indicate a change for the better but they do not tell the whole story. Drury is a low OBP player who rarely walks and strikes out at a rate above league average. That is not going to appeal to the Mariners front office.
Another reason for worry is that he did this all in Great American Ball Parl, a notorious hitter’s park. Only the home of the Houston Astros would have produced more home runs for Drury last season, and his offensive boom could be reflective of some ballpark success.
Many teams will likely be weary of his offensive output because there isn’t a ton to suggest he will take a step forward. His positional versatility and the chance he can still be an above-average bat would be the reason Seattle could take a shot on him.
While it is unlikely he can repeat a 123 WRC+, Drury could be an above-average bat for Seattle. That being said he cannot be the only addition to this lineup for the rest of the offseason, doing so is setting the Mariners up for failure.
If the contract is right I could see Seattle being interested, but there is plenty of risks involved in a player like this.