BOSTON — Stephen Drew switched uniforms from the Red Sox to the Yankees on Friday and even though he was going from one archrival to the other, it was only the second toughest adjustment he had to make.
After being traded for Kelly Johnson on Thursday, Drew, who had only played shortstop in his major league career, started at second base for the first time since he was a sophomore in high school.
“It was pretty strange to walk across the clubhouse and change uniforms,” Drew said before making his Yankees debut at Fenway Park in a 4-3 loss.
And he insisted he was also embracing his new position.
“I feel really confident,” said Drew, who was acquired before the non-waiver trade deadline Thursday afternoon. “I don’t think that’s gonna be an issue. It’s gonna be a challenge a little bit. I’m looking forward to the challenge. … I think the Yankees have confidence in my athletic ability to move to second and I pride myself in that as well.”
The Yankees’ other significant move Thursday was getting Martin Prado from Arizona. Prado is expected to be the regular right fielder even though he only had played two innings in right in the majors before finishing there Friday after pinch hitting for Ichiro Suzuki in the seventh.
“When I was with the Braves and we would go play the Mets, I didn’t like the crowds,” Prado said. “I was like, ‘I don’t like this city.’ ”
He has since come around and said he’s “getting to like the city.”
His experience might depend on how he performs on the field and the same goes for Drew, who couldn’t turn a double play after taking a throw from Derek Jeter in the first, but completed one in the eighth.
“You’ve got do it at some point,” Drew said.
Infield coach Mick Kelleher said the double play might be the most difficult part of the transition, as well as getting used to the angle off the bat.
Kelleher pointed to Drew’s strong arm, instincts and quick feet as reasons to believe this move would work.
This has been an unusual year all around for Drew, who declined the Red Sox’s qualifying offer following last season and didn’t sign with the team until May 21.
He got off to a horrendous start, but has hit better recently.
The move to second, of course, should be temporary. He could wind up being Derek Jeter’s replacement at short next season.
That was a scenario Drew declined to discuss on Friday, choosing to focus on the final two months of the regular season and the Yankees’ pursuit of the postseason.
Jeter, too, refused to speculate.
“I have no clue,” Jeter said. “You got me. I won’t be here.”