Alex Verdugo’s time in a Boston Red Sox uniform appears rapidly headed toward a conclusion.
As new Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow confirmed to reporters on Wednesday at the GM meetings in Scottsdale, other teams are checking in with him on the outfielder’s availability.
Breslow said the team wasn’t “in a position to commit to anything” and said they will “look at every opportunity,” adding “where that lands, we'll see.” He also did not shut the door on Verdugo staying in Boston, saying “it feels like he’s committed to performing the best he possibly can.”
Verdugo’s career in Boston is at a crossroads, at the very least. His commitment has been called into question after being twice benched by Alex Cora last season. While he got off to a hot start last season, Verdugo’s production waned as the season progressed.
His numbers to finish the year were down across the board from his first two full seasons in Boston, slashing just .264/.324/.421 and driving in 20 fewer runs than in 2022 — although he did match his career high with 13 homers.
It wasn’t an entirely unproductive offensive season — certainly not by modern standards when you consider the league batting average in 2023 was just .248 — but it was still a far cry from the “All-Star” moniker many were adamant he should have received.
(Personally, I never understood that. As much as I’ve liked him, how could you say his numbers at the break were worthy of that honor? Sure, every team needs a representative, a dumb rule to begin with, yet his average dipped below .300 on May 21st and didn’t recover until a semi-resurgence in late June. But looking at his production from game to game, it was very inconsistent. To my memory, there wasn’t one thing he was doing exceptionally well. If anything, I think Rafael Devers should have been the team’s All-Star rep in Seattle. No, it wasn’t Raffy’s best year at the plate — he was hitting just .254 at the break — but he was still the team leader with 20 home runs and 70 RBIs. Whatever, it’s neither here nor there…)
Anyway, where were we? Ah, yes, Verdugo’s disappointing numbers across the board. There was one saving grace for him in an otherwise lost year — his defense. Verdugo manned Fenway Park’s “second center field” well, and his .990 fielding percentage in right and American League-leading nine “defensive runs saved” helped earn him a spot as a Gold Glove finalist.
On a team that was comically inept in the field for most (all) of the season, Verdugo’s defensive strides deserve some recognition — if not nationally, at least locally. It’s crucial to have a capable right fielder at Fenway, and Verdugo has certainly become that.
As for his situation now, I see it playing out one of two ways. Either Verdugo is shipped off — hopefully for some pitching help — and the only remaining piece of the Mookie Betts trade in the system will be Connor Wong (who, yes, is a serviceable major league catcher — best served as a backup or platooned, in my eyes).
Or the rumors cool down (meaning Breslow wasn’t willing to take his own advice about risking it and not waiting for a perfect trade, as he told reporters on Wednesday) and Verdugo enters his fifth season in Boston in 2024 in a contract year needing to prove his mettle.
Either can work out favorably, but as I’ve written recently, I don’t believe that Verdugo is a cornerstone, building block type of player whose production can’t be replaced — especially with free agency upon us. Would bringing back Adam Duvall and sliding him over to right suffice? Probably. There are a lot of different directions Breslow could go with it.
As evidenced by some of your comments, not everybody is a fan of Verdugo’s act anymore. I tended to side more with Verdugo than the team during his spats last season — if for no other reason than to say “you guys aren’t good enough to be benching players” (CC: Bill Belichick).
But if Verdugo lives up to Breslow’s expectations of being committed to “performing the best possibly can” in 2024 — which means always playing hard, showing up on time, taking accountability when necessary — all of the noise will fade away.
Boston loves a winner and not a whiner, after all…
Gethin Coolbaugh is a contributor to Boston Sports Journal. Follow him @GethinCoolbaugh on X/Twitter.