Red Sox Outfielder Reportedly On Trade Block Loosely Linked To Five Teams

Boston could have a trade in the making

Scott Neville | Nov 28, 2023

Red Sox Outfielder Reportedly On Trade Block Loosely Linked To Five Teams /

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Boston Red Sox

Could Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow have a trade on the horizon involving one of their best all-around players?

Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo has long been rumored to be available via trade entering his final year of team control. Now he's being linked to a myriad of teams in need of a boost to their outfield corps, one of those clubs resides in the American League East.

The Athletic's Jim Bowden found potential trade matches for all Major League Baseball teams and listed the Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Guardians, Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals as logical landing spots for Verdugo.

Verdugo hit .264 with 55 extra-base hits including 13 home runs, 54 RBIs and a .745 OPS in 142 games. He also logged one out above average and nine defensive runs saved in the extremely difficult Fenway Park right field.

The 27-year-old was an American League Gold Glove finalist for defensive play last season while posting a 100 OPS+, making him an impressive all-around talent that will garner trade interest.

While there surely will be calls made on Verdugo's behalf, it might be a little premature to deal Verdugo. The Red Sox currently roster Masataka Yoshida, Jarren Duran, Rob Refsnyder, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela and Verdugo to man outfield spots next season. Of the group, Verdugo is the most established.

The talented right fielder is entering his final year of team control and is unlikely to be extended past 2024. Still, the most logical move would be to ride out his final season and re-evaluate at the trade deadline.

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Published Nov 28, 2023

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu