NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The New York Yankees made a uncommon commerce with the rival Boston Red Sox, buying outfielder Alex Verdugo on Tuesday evening for right-handers Greg Weissert, Richard Fitts and Nicholas Judice.
Verdugo, a 27-year-old left-handed hitter, batted .264 with 13 homers, 54 RBIs and a .745 OPS this 12 months in his fourth season with the Red Sox. A Gold Glove finalist, he had 12 outfield assists and 9 defensive runs saved.
A seven-year main league veteran, Verdugo has a .281 profession batting common with 57 homers and 255 RBIs with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Red Sox.
Selected by the Dodgers within the second spherical of the 2014 newbie draft, Verdugo was acquired by Boston with infielder Jeter Downs and catcher/second baseman Connor Wong within the February 2020 commerce that despatched slugger Mookie Betts and pitcher David Price to the Dodgers.
Verdugo is eligible for arbitration and is more likely to get a wage of about $9 million. He can grow to be a free agent after the World Series.
If the Yankees don’t make a further transfer resembling buying Juan Soto from San Diego, Verdugo can be more likely to see appreciable time in left discipline. Ten gamers performed left for New York final season topped by Oswaldo Cabrera, who appeared there in 51 video games and batted .211 general with 29 RBIs.
It was simply the eighth commerce between the groups since Major League Baseball break up into divisions in 1969. The Yankees obtained outfielder Greg Allen from Boston in May for right-hander Diego Hernández.
The most notable offers concerned the Yankees’ 1919 buy of Babe Ruth, New York getting pitcher Sparky Lyle in 1972 for first baseman Danny Cater and infielder Mario Guerrero, and Boston receiving Elston Howard – the Yankees’ first Black participant and the 1963 AL MVP – in 1967 for pitchers Ron Klimkowski and Pete Magrini.
Weissert, a 28-year-old right-hander who attended Fordham, not removed from Yankee Stadium, had a 4.05 ERA in 17 aid appearances over 5 stints with New York final season. He struck out 22 and walked eight in 20 innings. His fastball averaged 94.3 mph.
Fitts, 23, was a sixth-round decide from Auburn within the 2021 newbie draft and was 11-5 with a 3.48 ERA in 27 begins this 12 months at Double-A Somerset. He struck out 163 and walked 43 in 152 2/3 innings.
Judice, 22, was an eighth-round decide final summer season from the University of Louisiana at Monroe and has not made his minor league debut but.
