Yankees Acquire Alex Verdugo in Rare Trade With Rival Red Sox

A rare trade between the AL East rivals.

The Yankees and Red Sox agreed to a trade during the winter meetings on Tuesday, coming to terms on a deal that will send outfielder Alex Verdugo to the Bronx, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports.

In exchange, Boston will acquire a trio of right-handed pitching prospects, including Greg Weissert, Richard Fitts, and Nicholas Judice.

It’s rare to see New York doing business with its arch rivals. The last time the Yankees and Red Sox made a trade was back in 2021, when Boston acquired Adam Ottavino. Prior to that, the teams had not conducted a trade since 2014.

Passan notes it’s just the seventh time in the last 50 years that the AL East rivals completed a trade. 

New York has been heavily linked to Padres star Juan Soto during the offseason. Like Soto, Verdugo is a left-handed hitting outfielder, something Brian Cashman honed in on as a need for the Yankees. According to Andy Martino of SNY, the franchise remains in pursuit of Soto, despite the acquisition of Verdugo.

Last season in Boston, Verdugo slashed .264/.324/.421 with 13 home runs and 54 RBI in 142 games. He played exclusively in right field in 2023, but boasts plenty of experience in left field, too.