The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are heated rivals. They boast the longest rivalry in Major League Baseball. They make strange bedfellows during MLB trade season.
None of that stopped the two sides from getting together for a blockbuster trade during the MLB Winter Meetings in Nashville.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, New York has acquired Alex Verdugo from Boston in exchange for pitchers Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice.
There was some talk back in November that the two sides had engaged in trade conversations. Though, those reports indicated that it was Yankees star Gleyber Torres who was the subject of chats between the two sides. This deal comes completely out of left field (pun intended).
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman noted earlier in the offseason that they were in the market for both a left fielder and a left-handed bat. Most linked New York to San Diego Padres star Juan Soto. While that is still be the case, Verdugo certainly fills a need.
Trade from New York Yankees perspective
Verdugo, 27, was acquired by Boston from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Mookie Betts blockbuster ahead of the 2020 season. While he never panned out as a superstar after being a top prospect in Southern California, we’re talking about a solid outfield bat for the Pinstripes.
Verdugo hit .264 with 13 homers, 54 RBI and a .745 OPS this past season. His best performance came during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign when the former second-round pick hit .308 with an .844 OPS.
The veteran played primarily right field this past season in Boston. But has experience manning left field. This included making 102 starts for Boston at that position in 2022. New York exhausts its No. 12 overall prospect in the aforementioned Fitts to make this work.
For the Yankees, it’s not a surprise that they are active on the MLB trade front. “I don’t think after a year that we’ve had that there would be very few untouchables,” Cashman told reporters earlier on Tuesday.
Boston Red Sox nab three pitchers for Alex Verdugo
Fitts is the obvious headliner here. A former sixth-round pick out of Auburn, he saw extended action in Double-A this past season — pitching to an 11-5 record with a 3.48 ERA And 1.14 WHIP.
The 28-year-old Weissert made 17 appearances out of the Yankees pen in 2023, compiling a 4.05 ERA and 1.45 WHIP. Meanwhile, Judice was an eighth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft and has not seen action in the minors.
Reports indicate that the Red Sox have interest in free-agent outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Moving Verdugo opens up at-bats in the outfield.