Toronto Blue Jays Among Teams Interested in Free Agent Alex Verdugo, Per Report

Alex Verdugo could make another stop in the AL East, following up on his stints with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees by signing with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Sep 27, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo (24) reacts after striking out against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fourth inning at Yankee Stadium. / John Jones-Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays are "involved" with free agent outfielder Alex Verdugo, MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo reported Tuesday evening.

Cotillo's report comes a few days after FanSided's Robert Murray revealed that the Pittsburgh Pirates were interested in Verdugo. The New York Mets have been connected to Verdugo as well.

Pirates are indeed hot after Alex Verdugo and are a team to watch there, as @ByRobertMurray reported. Other teams like Mets, Jays involved, too.

— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) January 7, 2025

Verdugo, 28, is coming off the least productive season of his big league career so far. In 149 regular season games with the New York Yankees, Verdugo hit .233 with 13 home runs, 62 RBI, a .647 OPS and a 0.8 WAR. He then hit .208 with a .622 OPS this postseason, appearing in all 14 of New York's contests from the ALDS through the World Series.

Before his brief stint in the Bronx, though, Verdugo was a top prospect with the Los Angeles Dodgers who ultimately became the centerpiece of the blockbuster Mookie Betts trade. He placed 12th in AL MVP voting with the Boston Red Sox in 2020, and was an everyday member of their lineup for four seasons.

Verdugo hit .289 with a .778 OPS between 2019 and 2022, averaging 15 home runs, 69 RBI, five stolen bases and a 3.0 WAR per 162 games in that span.

However, the Red Sox willingly traded Verdugo to their heated rival in December 2023. Just 11 months later, the Yankees let him reach free agency without much fanfare.

Another stop in the AL East could be in Verdugo's future, depending on how things shake out with the Blue Jays elsewhere on the open market.

Toronto was going hard after Juan Soto and Teoscar Hernández before they signed with the Mets and Dodgers, respectively. Anthony Santander – another divisional foe who spent the last eight seasons with the Baltimore Orioles – is now towards the top of the Blue Jays' wish list.

Daulton Varsho will man center field in Toronto in 2025, once healthy, while George Springer will continue to hold down the fort in right. The Blue Jays have Joey Loperfido and Davis Schneider in line to platoon in left, but Santander or Verdugo would supplant them and provide more stability to the lineup.

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