The Chicago White Sox and veteran utilityman Brandon Drury have come to terms on a minor league contract with an invite to spring training. Drury joins the White Sox after spending the past two seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. The White Sox also inked utilityman Tristan Gray to a minor league deal on Friday.
The Chicago White Sox have agreed to terms with INFs Brandon Drury and Tristan Gray on minor-league contracts which include non-roster invites to Spring Training.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) February 7, 2025
Ex-Angels Slugger Brandon Drury Signs Minors Deal with White Sox
Drafted by the Braves in 2010, Drury debuted with the Diamondbacks and spent his first three seasons in Arizona. Over his decade-long career, the 32-year-old utilityman has suited up for seven teams and has had several productive seasons. His best season came in 2022 where he was arguably the Cincinnati Reds’ best offensive player of the first half. He hit .274/.335/.520 with 20 homers and 59 RBI over 92 games before being traded to the San Diego Padres. Drury finished the 2022 campaign batting .263/.320/.492 with 28 home runs and won his first Silver Slugger Award.
His career year earned the veteran utilityman a two-year deal worth $17 million from the Angels that December. Drury played in 125 games in his first year in Los Angeles, batting .262/.306/.497 with 26 home runs. But his success did not continue into 2024, as he batted a career-low .169/.242/.228 over 97 games while battling multiple hamstring injuries.
Going into his age-33 season, Drury owns a career .245/.296/.421 slash line with 109 homers and a .717 OPS. When healthy, his bat has been a significant asset throughout his career. The veteran has regularly been among the top major league hitters in both home run and hard hit percentages. Defensively, Drury’s flexibility has been a major selling point. After starting his career as an outfielder, the 32-year-old has spent much of his career playing second and third base.
Over the years, Drury has proved to be a reliable glove who can contribute in a variety of ways, both on and off the field. His power will be a significant boost to the Chicago lineup while his defensive versatility will allow him to slot in wherever needed. Assuming he breaks camp with the White Sox, he will likely serve as the right-handed half of a third-base platoon with Josh Rojas. Drury will look to bounce back from his down year and if he can stay healthy, he could potentially be a strong Comeback Player of the Year candidate.
