Yankees acquire outfielder Alex Verdugo in trade with Red Sox
The Yankees have acquired outfielder Alex Verdugo from the Red Sox in exchange for right handers Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert, and Nicholas Judice.
Verdugo, 27, will earn roughly $9 million in 2024 and is set to be a free agent after the season.
In 142 games for the Red Sox in 2023, Verdugo slashed .264/.324/.421 with 13 homers, 37 doubles, and five triples.
His advanced offensive stats via Baseball Savant were a bit of a mixed bag, with him putting up elite numbers when it came to chase percentage, whiff percentage, strikeout rate, and xBA. He also graded out as above-average in base running run value.
During his seven-year career with the Dodgers and Red Sox, he has hit .281/.337/.428 while averaging 14 homers and 38 doubles per 162 games.
Defensively, Verdugo can play all three outfield spots, but played only right field in 2023 -- where he was worth 9 Defensive Runs Saved.
Via Baseball Savant, Verdugo was above average in 2023 when it came to range (67th percentile), and was near the top of the league in arm strength (95th percentile).
With the Yankees, Verdugo will join Aaron Judge as one of the team's starting outfielders, and could potentially fit in center field. This move also doesn't impact New York's pursuit of Padres star Juan Soto, as reported by SNY's Andy Martino.
