The Philadelphia Phillies are locked and loaded now that Opening Day for the 2025 MLB season is almost here. It was a long winter after the Phillies' 2024 campaign suffered an early playoff exit, leaving the fanbase excited to see if Rob Thomson's club has what it takes to put the rest of the Majors on notice right out of the gate.
The Phillies' 2025 outlook is promising, however, there's always room for improvement — especially if they want to compete for the World Series. Fortunately, the perfect veteran slugger to help put Thomson's lineup over the edge just became available.
Phillies Must Target IF Brandon Drury After White Sox Release
The Chicago White Sox announced over the weekend that they've released veteran infielder Brandon Drury from his minor-league contract. The former Silver Slugger was on track to making the White Sox's Opening Day roster until he fractured his thumb last week, resulting in his late-minute release.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 23, 2025
The Phillies' bench could use a player like Drury despite the lineup being finalized earlier this week. Kody Clemens landed the final role on Monday, however, Philadelphia could be open to sending him to the minors if it means replacing him with a former Silver Slugger bat.
Drury, 32, is a 10-year MLB veteran who's played 867 games with seven franchises. Although injuries have often prevented him from reaching his full potential, the Grants Pass, OR native has proven to be a reliable batter in recent years, having racked up 54 home runs, 170 RBIs, 63 walks, and a .262/.313/.495 slash line across 263 games between the Reds, Angels, and Padres in 2022 and 2023.
Having said that, Drury is coming off a down year with the Angels. The former 2010 13th-rounder struggled to maintain consistency throughout the 2024 campaign, mustering just four HRs and 15 RBIs while batting .169 with a .469 OPS in 97 games (360 plate appearances).
Fortunately, Drury showed signs of life during his brief stint with the White Sox. He slashed .410/.439/.821 across his 13 games (39 at-bats) in a Chicago uniform, cranking out 10 extra-base hits (7 doubles, 3 HRs) and 11 RBIs while also drawing a pair of walks. Had it not been for his fractured thumb, that performance should've been good enough to land him on the White Sox's Opening Day roster.
Now without a home, the Phillies should at least consider signing Drury for the 2025 campaign. Even though his inconsistencies can be frustrating, he'd easily be Philadelphia's best bench bat whenever he's on his game, and his experience playing all across the infield and outfield could open up new defensive lineup combinations for Thomson.
That's without mentioning Drury's previous success in the City of Brotherly Love. Even though it's a small sample size, he's racked up two doubles, a homer, and six RBIs while slashing .367/.424/.533 in nine career outings (30 ABs) at Citizens Bank Park.
At the end of the day, signing Drury is a low-risk move that could help the Phillies achieve high rewards in 2025. He'd be a useful contributor to help Philadelphia capitalize on its 2025 Word Series odds, which currently sit at +1000 (4th) on FanDuel Sportsbook before Opening Day.
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