Alex Verdugo, who came over from the Boston Red Sox via trade before the start of the 2024 campaign, didn’t really have a good season with the New York Yankees. After hitting free agency, his agency has tried to find a good, starting opportunity for him, but he hasn’t put pen to paper yet. Now that the top options have come and gone, the Pittsburgh Pirates have crawled out of their hole and are showing interest in him, per reports.
The Pirates are reportedly interested in signing Alex Verdugo
According to Robert Murray of FanSided (h/t MLB Trade Rumors), the Pirates have expressed interest in signing Verdugo this offseason:
“The Bucs were said last month to be exploring the bullpen and corner outfield markets, and that appears to still be the case. Robert Murray of FanSided more specifically reports that Alex Verdugo is one name in whom the Pirates have interest,” Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors wrote.
It has been a relatively quiet season for the Pirates. They have impressive organizational starting pitching depth and dealt from that strength to get infielder Spencer Horwitz from the Cleveland Guardians, sending them Luis L. Ortiz. Outside of that move and the return of franchise legend Andrew McCutchen, they haven’t been too active.
Verdugo, however, would represent a nice market opportunity for the Pirates. He shouldn’t be too expensive and has the potential for a fresh start and a potentially low-stress environment.
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The Pirates could benefit from Verdugo’s strong defense and league-average offense
Last year with the Yankees, the lefty hitter compiled a disappointing 83 wRC+ in the pressure cooker that is New York. However, he has been much closer to the league average throughout his career. The 29-year-old boasts a 101 wRC+ mark since making his MLB debut in 2017. Going to the Pirates to be a regular would give Verdugo a chance to re-establish some value and re-enter the market next year.
“Given his lackluster ’24 showing and his age, he seems likely to take a one-year deal and return to the market next winter, hopefully on the heels of a steadier and more productive performance. He’d still only be entering his age-30 season, an age at which plenty of outfielders find lucrative multi-year deals,” Adams of MLBTR explained.
Already a very solid defender, Verdugo could potentially help the Pirates’ up-and-coming roster fight for a place in the postseason if he rebounds offensively.
