Verdugo Details First Moments After Trade To Yankees
Alex Verdugo wasn’t expecting a trade to the New York Yankees.
He especially wasn’t expecting it given that he played outfield for the Yankees’ arch-rival, the Boston Red Sox.
But, that’s how it went down earlier this month when the Yankees made a flurry of moves to bolster its outfield for the 2024 season.
The Yankees dealt three players — Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice — to acquire Verdugo on Dec. 5.
Several days later, the Yankees traded five players to acquire Juan Soto and Trent Grishman.
Verdugo figures to start alongside Soto and Aaron Judge in the outfield at Yankee Stadium next season.
But his first reaction was actually anger.
“I was hot," Verdugo said in a Zoom call with reporters on Thursday. “I was like, 'Man, they really sent me to the rivals, the Yankees.’”
Deals between the two teams are rare, befitting their rivalry and the transaction that started it all — Boston’s trade of Babe Ruth to the Yankees in 1919.
The two teams have made four trades since 2000 and seven trades in the last 50 years.
Verdugo’s anger was justified. He also felt blindsided by his former team. And, during a visit to Yankee Stadium in 2021, he was hit by a baseball thrown by a fan.
But, baseball is also business. And he quickly turned around.
Shortly after the trade, he started getting messages from new teammates —Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rizzo among them.
Once the shock wore off and he got his brain wrapped around the move, the first thing he did was shave.
“I shaved right away,” Verdugo said, knowing the Yankees have a policy on facial hair.
Verdugo started his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and he’s a career .281 hitter. He only has 57 home runs, but the Yankees have a wealth of options for power.
He just wants to be a part of a team that can win a championship now.
“I want to win the World Series,” he said.
