As first reported by MLB insider Jeff Passan, the Red Sox and Yankees made their seventh commerce within the final 50 years on Tuesday night.
Alex Verdugo shall be donning pinstripes and shaving his beard, and the Red Sox will add three right-handed pitchers to a corporation that wants as a lot pitching as it will probably get.
Verdugo is in his ultimate 12 months of arbitration, and has been the topic of commerce rumors for a number of months. While the Red Sox by no means engaged with him on extension talks, a number of golf equipment had been focused on him on the commerce deadline. The Yankees made their curiosity in Verdugo recognized in early November; they had been one in all a number of groups that referred to as the Red Sox about him, Craig Breslow mentioned.
Over 4 seasons in Boston, Verdugo hit .281 with a .761 OPS, 124 doubles, 43 house runs, 206 RBI, and 280 runs. There had been flashes of brilliance, comparable to his three consecutive video games with a leadoff house run in late August, one thing no Red Sox participant had finished earlier than, and stretches of clutch hits, like when he turned the third Major Leaguer since 1920 to gather three walk-off hits in a crew’s first 30 video games of the season.
He was among the best defensive outfielders within the American League this 12 months, and named Boston’s lone Gold Glove finalist.
Unfortunately, he by no means appeared to dwell as much as his potential. At least, not persistently.
Verdugo shall be remembered as a lightning rod in a tumultuous period of the franchise. At first, by way of no fault of his personal; he didn’t ask to be the centerpiece of the largest Red Sox commerce since Harry Frazee offered Babe Ruth to the Yankees in 1919.
But over the past 4 seasons, Verdugo typically courted controversy, and that, greater than something, urged that he wouldn’t put on a Red Sox uniform once more. On the ultimate day of the ’22 season, Alex Cora was fast to name him out because the participant who most wanted to take a step ahead the next 12 months. Last February, the outfielder approached a gaggle of high Red Sox personnel – together with principal proprietor John Henry – at spring coaching and declared that he was able to show he deserved a long-term extension. Instead, as had been the case the season earlier than, Cora ended up benching him for lack of hustle.
There was additionally the day in early August when Verdugo was abruptly scratched from the lineup with no rationalization. It turned out he’d proven as much as Fenway Park a number of hours late. Even hours later, his supervisor was visibly livid. “This is probably one of my worst days here in this organization,” Cora mentioned.
In the clubhouse, Verdugo regarded confused when requested if he took accountability.
“Do I take accountability for what?” he requested. “I mean, yeah, I guess.”
But requested if he’d been on time, he mentioned sure.
Righty return
In trade for his or her longest-tenured outfielder, Boston receives three right-handers: Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice.
Judice is the youngest of the three. The Yankees chosen him within the eighth spherical of this summer time’s draft out of Louisiana Monroe. He’s been assigned to the Red Sox rookie-level Florida Complex League.
Fitts, 23, was New York’s sixth-round decide within the 2021 draft. He spent all the ’23 MiLB season within the Double-A Somerset rotation, the place he posted a 3.48 ERA throughout 27 begins (152.2 innings). Double-A managers voted him “Best Control” of any pitcher within the Eastern League this season. He’s been assigned to Double-A Portland.
Of the trio, Weissert is the one one with Major League expertise. He debuted with the Yankees in August 2022, and has made 29 profession big-league reduction appearances. Over 17 Major League outings this season, he compiled a 4.05 ERA throughout 20 innings.
Source: www.bostonherald.com