MLB

Stephen Drew could land in either NY dugout

There is still the possibility free-agent shortstop Stephen Drew could wind up in New York with either the Mets, where he would be a strong fit, or the Yankees.

Thus begins Phase II of free agency now that the majority of huge names are off the board.

There are those in the Mets organization who would love to see Drew at shortstop because of Ruben Tejada’s performance the past few years and agent Scott Boras would like to deliver him to Citi Field. Signing Drew would mean a solid, veteran shortstop, one who was loved by teammates in Boston because of his style of play. But as with most cases with the Mets, money is the issue. Drew is believed to be seeking a three-year deal; the Mets are looking at two years.

The Mets need to fill as many holes as possible, and considering their shaky situation at first base, they cannot afford to let shortstop be a trouble spot again in 2014.

For now Drew is in a holding pattern, according to sources. Another Boras client, Kendrys Morales, is a free agent, but it appears the Mets will not test those first-base waters, even though Morales owns a lifetime .813 OPS, while Lucas Duda’s is at .766 and Ike Davis’ is .768.

As for the Yankees’ dance with Drew, they do not want to be caught short again if Derek Jeter’s season goes down the drain because of injury, like the disaster that was 2013. Drew would be the perfect backup plan, and could also offer insurance throughout the infield.