Stephen Drew wants multi-year deal with opt-out after first year

PALM COAST, Fla -- Free-agent shortstop Stephen Drew and his agent, Scott Boras, are looking for a multi-year deal with an opt-out clause after the first year of the contract, says Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.

According to Rubin, the New York Mets are unwilling to do that kind of deal, and it's unknown if the Boston Red Sox feel the same. Up to this point, they have been the two teams most interested in signing Drew.

The Yankees have not been showing much interest in Drew this winter, and even though a couple of reports in recent weeks suggested they might go after him since signing Masahiro Tanaka put them over the $189 million luxury-tax mark, Brian Cashman has said he's not going after him.

But at the same time, Drew would be a good fit on the Yankees, and Boras has said that his client is willing to play positions other than shortstop. If the Yankees signed him, they would likely have him play third base.

In some way, the opt-out could potentially help the Yankees, too.

In signing him, they would be giving up a second round pick in this summers draft, so they're not taking much of a hit there. But they could gain from him next winter if he has a good season in 2014, opts-out, and signs elsewhere after rejecting a qualifying offer from the Bombers.

Getting him at the right price has been something that I've been cautioning the Yankees to do. They really need a third baseman, and Drew would be better than the current options there.

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Gavin Ewbank is the Lead Writer of Yanks Beat Blog, and you can follow him on Twitter (below.)

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