Game 108 Preview: Yankees Look To Start Off Strong In Boston

Player To Watch

Stephen Drew. While a ton of moves have been made in the last 24 hours, not all players made it to the ballpark in time to get into the starting lineup. Fortunately Stephen Drew is ready to face the team he played for just 24 hours ago.

Drew came to the Yankees yesterday in a straight up trade for Kelly Johnson. While Drew has been terrible this season, much of that can be attributed to the fact that he did not sign a deal until May. He is hoping to leave his .176 batting average on the Red Sox side of the dugout and become a productive member of a suddenly stronger Yankees squad.

Stephen Drew is a nine year veteran and spent his best years with the Diamondbacks from 2006 – the middle of 2012. Last season he batted .253 with 13 homers and 67 RBI for Boston in 124 games. While the numbers are not overpowering, he is a massive upgrade compared to Brian Roberts. Roberts batted .237 this season and seemed to just be proud of the fact that he wasn’t injured. Even if it takes some time for Drew to adjust, he will give more pop and better defense than Roberts. This will be Drew’s first time playing second since the 10^th grade, but he should still be a defensive upgrade.