Red Sox's Alex Verdugo Linked To Phillies As Trade Rumor Mill Continues To Churn
Would the Boston Red Sox ship outfielder Alex Verdugo to their former president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, and the Philadelphia Phillies?
Verdugo is a core member of the current roster and a fan favorite but his future in Boston appears bleak. The 27-year-old has been linked to many suiters this offseason, including the rival New York Yankees after Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow was open about the calls he'd received about his right fielder.
Now it appears that the Phillies could get involved, though it could be purely speculation. Nick Castellanos reportedly could be traded this winter according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, leaving a vacancy in right field.
"Jorge Soler and Teoscar Hernández are among the right-field options on the free-agent market, so the Phillies could take the $20 million per year owed to Castellanos over the next three seasons to sign his replacement," Feinsand wrote Thursday. "Other players such as Boston’s Alex Verdugo could also be available in trades."
Verdugo hit .264 with 55 extra-base hits including 13 home runs, 54 RBIs and a .745 OPS in 142 games. He also logged nine defensive runs saved in the extremely difficult Fenway Park right field.
Unless the Red Sox could get an impact pitcher and already have a solution to fill the offensive production Verdugo would be leaving behind, it might make more sense to keep the eccentric outfielder in Boston.
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