Blue Jays avoid arbitration with Brandon Drury

According to Jon Heyman of the MLB Network, the Toronto Blue Jays have avoided arbitration with Brandon Drury agreeing on a $2.05 million dollar pact.

The Blue Jays and Brandon Drury reached the agreement before the 11 am deadline tomorrow avoiding an arbitration hearing. Drury is coming off a disappointing campaign where he hit just .218/.262/.380 with 15 homers in 120 games last season.

The 27-year old will earn a slight rise over the $1.3 million he earned in 2019 while not maximizing on the projected $2.5 million that MLB Trade Rumors had projected for the utility player. Drury also avoided arbitration last season agreeing on a deal before the cutoff date.

The Blue Jays now have only Matt Shoemaker and Ken Giles eligible for arbitration and still without a contract. Shoemaker is projected to earn $3.8 million after missing most of last season while Giles should cash-out somewhere in the neighborhood of $8.4 million. The team previously locked up Anthony Bass on a $1.5 million dollar pact avoiding arbitration.

More from Toronto Blue Jays News

• Matt Chapman has been exactly what the Blue Jays needed
• Blue Jays: The goalposts are moving in the right direction
• Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays advance to the Championship Series
• Blue Jays: Comparisons for Alek Manoah’s Second Season
• Blue Jays: Adam Cimber, the unlikely decision King

Drury’s versatility is probably the only reason he is still on the active roster and will be in tough for at-bast in 2020 if he repeats his performance of last season. Drury played all over the diamond for skipper Charlie Montoyo seeing action at all four infield positions as well as left and right field.

The Jays acquired Drury at the 2018 trade deadline along with Billy McKinney from the Yankees in exchange for pitcher J.A. Happ. Drury will attempt to replicate his 2016 season where he posted an impressive .282/.329/.458 line with 16 homers and 53 runs batted in while with the Diamondbacks.

Last season the brain trust went to a hearing with reliever Ryan Tepera although the pitcher eventually lost his case. We will have to wait and see how the next 15 hours play out, hopefully, the Jays can avoid arbitration with both Shoemaker and Giles.