The New York Yankees gave Alex Verdugo a fresh start in 2024, but the opportunity came with more questions than answers.
Verdugo spent most of the season as the Yankees’ starting left fielder, even appearing in the World Series. It wasn’t pretty.
He slashed a lackluster line and finished with just 0.6 fWAR across 149 games. His 84 wRC+ told the full story.
When the offseason came, Verdugo entered free agency without much fanfare. Interest was tepid across the league.
Eventually, the Atlanta Braves threw him a lifeline with a low-risk, $1.5 million deal signed on March 20.
The contract allowed Verdugo to begin the year in Triple-A, and he did just that. But he wasn’t there long.
After just nine games in the minors, Atlanta brought him up—hopeful he could provide a stable left-handed bat.
For a brief moment, it seemed like Verdugo might finally turn a corner. He opened hot, spraying line drives early.
But as pitchers adjusted, Verdugo fell back into the habits that plagued his Yankees tenure—weak contact and little power.
Jurickson Profar’s Return Ends Verdugo’s Short Run
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Braves have now designated Verdugo for assignment.
“Clearing a spot for the return of Jurickson Profar,” Rosenthal wrote on X, signaling the end of Verdugo’s Braves chapter.
Profar had served an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs and was ready to reclaim his roster spot.
In essence, Atlanta chose to reinstate their star offseason acquisition rather than keep Verdugo’s bat in the lineup.
In 56 games with the Braves, Verdugo hit just .239 with a .296 on-base percentage and a brutal .289 slugging.
Even worse, he didn’t hit a single home run in 213 plate appearances, leading to a dreadful 66 wRC+.
Advanced metrics were even less kind. His -0.9 fWAR placed him among the least valuable players in the majors.
What began as a small gamble for Atlanta quickly turned into a roster liability they couldn’t afford to carry.
Verdugo’s Future Is Now Clouded With Uncertainty
Verdugo now finds himself in baseball limbo. He’ll hit waivers, and teams have the option to claim him.
If no club takes a flier, he’ll be able to elect free agency or accept an assignment to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Given his current production, it’s hard to imagine many teams lining up to add him to their big league roster.
It’s been a startling fall for a player once viewed as a key part of Boston’s return in the Mookie Betts trade.
Verdugo always had promise—solid defense, a quick lefty swing, a good feel for contact—but his bat has simply vanished.
At this point, he’s a player without a defined role: not quite a starter, not productive enough for the bench.
It feels like watching an actor forget his lines onstage—there’s history, there’s talent, but the spotlight has moved on.
Verdugo is only 28, and baseball careers can turn on a dime. A swing adjustment or new environment might help.
But the harsh reality is that back-to-back poor seasons have dimmed his shine, and his leash keeps getting shorter.
A few years ago, he was supposed to be a cornerstone. Now, he’s trying to simply stay in the conversation.
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