We're waiting....
From 2007-2010 Stephen Drew averaged 147 games played for the Arizona Diamondbacks and for a while looked as though he would emerge as one of the better shortstops in the National League. Last season he made only 86 appearances before suffering a fractured ankle on this play. Drew is still on the road to recovery and is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with the team’s Triple-A affiliate, the Reno Aces, later this week with an expected duration of three weeks or more if necessary.
With it looking like Stephen Drew will not be returning to Arizona’s lineup for some time yet the patience of Ken Kendrick appears to be wearing thin. The team’s managing general partner expressed his feelings in a recent interview via pros2preps.com as passed along by Hardball Talk.
You know, I’m going to be real direct about Stephen. I think Stephen should have been out there playing before now. And, frankly, I for one am disappointed.
I’m going to be real candid and say I think Stephen and his representatives are more focused on where Stephen is going to be a year from now than going out and supporting the team that’s paying his salary.
All you can do is hope that the player is treating the situation with integrity, and, frankly, we have our concerns.
Shots fired.
Veteran Willie Bloomquist is in his second year with the Diamondbacks and has started 40 games this season at shortstop in Drew’s absence.
When Stephen Drew returns he will probably be auditioning for a new team as it would appear unlikely the mutual option in his contract for the 2013 season will be picked up by the D-Backs based on Kendrick’s sentiments. At this point it would be hard to blame Drew if he didn’t care whether they exercised their end or not.
I can only imagine what Kendrick would have said if Starlin Castro was Arizona’s shortstop instead of Drew.
