Stephen Drew Signs With Boston Red Sox

Oct 24, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop

(7) throws to first base for the out against the St. Louis Cardinals during the fifth inning of game two of the MLB baseball World Series at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

If the Detroit Tigers were planning on adding Stephen Drew mid-season to help patch the hole at shortstop, they’re now going to have to look elsewhere. According to Ken Rosenthal, the 31 year old infielder has signed a one-year deal to return to the Boston Red Sox.

In signing Drew they’ll give up the opportunity to collect a compensation draft pick, but with only about two and a half weeks left until the draft, it was becoming clear that no one else was going to swoop in and pick him up, so they’re not really losing out on that.

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I would have expected the Tigers to offer Drew something like $8 million for the remainder of the season, so the Red Sox are seemingly paying on the high end, but in the end it’s Drew eating the $4 million that he could have earned by simply accepting the qualifying offer.

Options for the Tigers now include: (1) stick with Andrew Romine and be satisfied with his all-glove approach, (2) stick with Romine and hope his bat improves, (3) give Eugenio Suarez a try in the big leagues, (4) scour the trade market at the deadline for someone like Cliff Pennington, or perhaps (5) hope Jose Iglesias heals in time to play in September and October.