Polarizing Ex-Red Sox, Yankees Outfielder Lands Last-Second $1.5M Deal With Braves

Can this former Sox revive his career?

Mar 31, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Braves batting helmet inside the dugout before game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

It's been a whirlwind couple of years for a former Boston Red Sox outfielder.

After a 2023 season marked by a second-half slump and a highly-publicized late arrival, Alex Verdugo was shipped to the Red Sox's chief rival, the New York Yankees. There, he took over the starting left field job in his final year of arbitration, but it didn't go as planned.

Verdugo had the worst offensive season of his career in New York, and the Yankees didn't seem particularly interested in bringing him back. After making $8.7 million in arbitration, Verdugo spent the entire winter hoping to land a major league contract.

Finally, just a week before Opening Day, Verdugo has a new team.

On Thursday, Verdugo agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Atlanta Braves, as first reported by Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

The Braves confirmed the news of the Verdugo signing on X, while announcing he was being optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. This makes sense, given that he will have to play his way into game shape after remaining unsigned for so long, but there's also no guarantee that he'll ever get his shot to start.

Atlanta's outfield picture is somewhat murky early in the season, with superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. still recovering from a torn ACL last May. Jurickson Profar and Michael Harris II will start in left and center field respectively, but right field currently projects as a platoon between Bryan De La Cruz and Jarred Kelenic.

For the Red Sox, the minimal interest in Verdugo all offseason was yet another reminder of the lopsided return on the trade that sent Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Verdugo gave the Red Sox four decent seasons as a starter and Connor Wong remains the team's top catcher, but Betts has since won two World Series and racked up four All-Star appearances.

The Red Sox will face the Braves six times in May: the 16th-18th at Fenway Park, and the 30th-Jun. 1 in Atlanta. If Verdugo is with the team, Boston will hope to avoid another revenge episode, after he memorably hit a two-run home run against Brayan Bello in his return to Fenway with the Yankees.

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