Earlier this winter, the New York Yankees lost prized outfielder Juan Soto to their cross-town rivals, the New York Mets. Now, they may see another outfielder leave the Bronx after just one season.
Outfielder Alex Verdugo, who New York acquired from the arch-rival Boston Red Sox last offseason, is still on the open market. Despite displaying great defense out of left field for the Yankees in 2024, a poor offensive season has significantly harmed the 28-year-old outfielder's chances of getting a premium deal in free agency.
ESPN baseball insider Jeff Passan predicted that Verdugo, along with the remaining free agent outfielders, is expected to sign a one-year "prove it" contract with his next ballclub.
"Outfielders haven't panicked yet because the combination of need and contending teams should get them paid," Passan wrote. "(Jesse Winker) and (Randal Grichuk) will find solid platoon homes in hopes of fuller-time at-bats, and while (Austin Hays), Verdugo, and (Harrison Bader) are staring at one-year deals, the possibility of solid seasons on relatively low-cost deals makes each appealing in his own right."
Before arriving in the Bronx, Verdugo spent the last four seasons with the aforementioned Red Sox; he began his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers before being shipped off to Beantown as part of the Mookie Betts blockbuster trade in February 2020. During his tenure in Boston, Verdugo was very productive on offense; he slugged 43 home runs, drove in 206 runs, and recorded a cumulative batting average of .281.
But in his first and likely only season as a Yankee, Verdugo's offensive production was not the same. In 149 regular season games, he slashed just .233/.291/.356 with 13 home runs, 61 RBI, and a .647 OPS, the latter of which was the second-worst of his career.
With the Yankees expected to give top prospect Jasson Domínguez a starting outfield spot in 2025, and with Aaron Judge anticipated to return to right field after the addition of Cody Bellinger, it looks like Verdugo will be one-and-done in pinstripes.
