Braves land ex-Yankees, Red Sox outfielder

Alex Verdugo has finally landed a contract in what has been a rather disappointing offseason for the former New York Yankees outfielder. Reports recently suggested that Verdugo was not receiving MLB contract offers. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t attracting the interest of teams, but Verdugo was reportedly not receiving any MLB offers. According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, however, Verdugo and the Atlanta Braves are in agreement on a $1.5 million deal.

Alex Verdugo set to sign with Braves

Verdugo began his big league career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and displayed signs of potential. The Dodgers ultimately traded Verdugo to the Boston Red Sox as part of the Mookie Betts deal, however.

Verdugo started his Red Sox career on a high note. In the shortened 2020 campaign, Verdugo finished 12th in MVP voting after hitting .308 with an .844 OPS. In the following years, Verdugo would produce respectable, albeit far from spectacular numbers.

Verdugo played well enough to start games in the Red Sox’s outfield on a consistent basis. Fans were hoping that he would emerge as a star, though. Perhaps the expectations were unfair, but there was added pressure since Verdugo was one of the primary pieces of the Betts trade.

Verdugo’s final season with the Red Sox was in 2023. The Red Sox ended up trading Verdugo to the Yankees ahead of the 2024 campaign. The outfielder endured a down season, though, and New York did not re-sign him this offseason.

According to Heyman, Verdugo is expected to begin his next chapter with the Braves. Atlanta has become known for giving veteran position players opportunities to find success. It would not be surprising to see Verdugo enjoy a bounce back campaign in Atlanta if given an opportunity at the big league level.

Verdugo’s ceiling remains intriguing. He is one of the better pure contact hitters in the sport when he is on top of his game. For the Braves, signing Verdugo is a low-risk, high-reward move.