The New York Yankees made a trade with their rival Red Sox this offseason to add talent to their outfield with Alex Verdugo. While Verdugo is an exciting acquisition for the Bombers, his tenure in the Bronx could be a surprisingly short one.
Alex Verdugo could be a one-and-done candidate
The Yankees acquired Verdugo via trade from the Boston Red Sox in December in exchange for RHP Richard Fitts, RHP Greg Weissert, and RHP Nicholas Judice.
Verdugo, a talented lefty-batter who recorded 13 home runs and 54 RBIs in 142 games last season, will bolster the Yankees’ offensive firepower this upcoming season, but maybe not for much longer.
Verdugo is in his final year of arbitration before heading into free agency in 2025. Having just added Juan Soto to the mix, New York might not consider extending Verdugo in 2025 to be a main priority.
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The Yankees have enough talent in their outfield
The eventual return of Jasson Dominguez gives a positive outlook to the future of the Yankees’ outfield. Furthermore, the blockbuster deal to acquire Soto will further hamper their ability to retain Verdugo in 2025.
Soto is also entering his final season of arbitration before becoming an unrestricted free agent next year. New York will likely prioritize retaining Soto in 2025 over Verdugo despite the potentially ground-breaking contract Soto might garner.
Instead of extending Verdugo in 2025, the Yankees will likely prefer to continue developing Dominguez and maintain Soto as one of their key components on offense.
