Red Sox Have Not Started Extension Talks With Alex Verdugo Despite His Interest

Dugie would like to stick around for the long haul

The Boston Red Sox have a core player on a deal expiring in the near future but the club has yet to attempt to keep the rising star here for the long haul.

With all the stress of trade rumors floating around ahead of the Aug. 1 trade deadline and the uncertainty of who will remain in a Red Sox uniform, Alex Verdugo made his stance clear on whether he'd like to remain in Boston while talking about the possibility of an extension. 

"I always mess around with them about it, but I don’t think there has been anything serious so far." Verdugo told WEEI's Rob Bradford. "What I plan on doing is going basically year to year. It’s the easiest way to get your mindset where you do it year to year and you will get paid for whatever you do that year. If they want to talk, we can talk. I just joke around with them. There has been no seriousness to it. I’m just trying to make it fun.

"That’s all I can do. I will mess with Chaim (Bloom) and Eddie (Romero) and Sam (Kennedy) and John (Henry). I will mess with these guys by just telling them, ‘Hey man, extend me. I would love to stay here.’ It’s always just laughs. We haven’t really actually talked about anything. For me, it’s about keeping it light and having fun."

Verdugo has a .274 batting average, 31 extra-base hits including seven home runs, 39 RBIs and a .780 OPS in 90 games this season. 

Although no talks of an extension have been made, Verdugo's attitude proves that he isn't stressed or upset about the situation. It does allow room for talk of him being dealt before the trade deadline, but I don't believe he'd be on the list of names who the front office would be willing to move. 

Verdugo has hit .285 with 157 extra-base hits including 37 home runs, 191 RBIs, a .770 OPS and 107 OPS+ in 441 games with the Red Sox, which is plenty deserving of an extension. He's also had quite the flare for the dramatic, showing a consistent perpencity to rise to the occasion in the clutch. 

The Verdugo extension updates will take center stage at spring training and throughout the 2024 season if a deal if not reached beforehand but it's worth noting that Boston has not even started to convince their most reliable outfielder over the last few seasons to be apart of the long-term plans.

More MLB: Red Sox Slugger Takes Hard Stance On Whether He Wants To Be Traded