Angels make splash in signing Silver Slugger winner

The Los Angeles Angels made a big free-agent splash on Tuesday.

Free-agent utilityman Brandon Drury reportedly signed with the club. The Angels agreed to terms with the 2022 Silver Slugger recipient on a new, two-year contract worth $17 million. Drury spent the latter half of 2022 with the San Diego Padres and helped lead the team to the NLCS.

ESPN insider Jeff Passan reported the news of Drury’s signing. Passan tweeted, “Utilityman Brandon Drury and the Los Angeles Angels are in agreement on a two-year, $17 million contract, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN.”

Utilityman Brandon Drury and the Los Angeles Angels are in agreement on a two-year, $17 million contract, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN. Drury, 30, won the Silver Slugger at the utility position last year and is the third bat the Angels have acquired this winter.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 21, 2022

Drury played for both the Padres and the Cincinnati Reds in the 2022 season. Prior to that, he played for the Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, and the New York Mets.

The utilityman’s 2022 season was by far his most prolific. He crushed a career-high 28 home runs and hit .263/.320/.492. His .320 OBP was the highest he recorded since his age-23 season in 2016. His .492 SLG was the highest he’d ever recorded in his career, as was his OPS of .813. So, the Angels are hoping that success carries over in 2023 to hopefully boost their lineup.

The Halos’ lineup with Drury looks pretty proficient on paper. He joins superstars Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, as well as outfielder Taylor Ward, first baseman Jared Walsh, and fellow offseason acquisition Hunter Renfroe.

Ultimately, time will tell if signing Drury gets the Angels over that elusive hump and make the postseason for the first time since 2014. The team has not won a postseason game since 2009.

[Jeff Passan]