Former Red Sox, Yankees Outfielder Alex Verdugo Reportedly Has Zero MLB Offers

Alex Verdugo was a standout piece for the Boston Red Sox and a contributing member of a pennant-winning New York Yankees team, but a new report suggests that his free agent market was dead on arrival.

New York, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo (24) celebrates with first base coach Travis Chapman (75) after hitting a RBI single during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Outfielder Alex Verdugo has not received a single major league contract offer since hitting free agency last fall, The Athletic's Brendan Kuty reported Tuesday.

By most accounts, Verdugo is the top position player remaining on the market – and he has been for a month. Rumors surfaced earlier in the offseason that the Toronto Blue Jays and Pittsburgh Pirates were interested in the 28-year-old, but they wound up signing Anthony Santander and Tommy Pham instead.

Verdugo spent the 2024 season with the New York Yankees, appearing in 149 games before playing every single inning of their 14-game playoff run. He hit .233 with 13 home runs, 61 RBIs, a .647 OPS and a 0.8 WAR in the regular season before batting .208 with one home run, eight RBIs and a .622 OPS in the postseason.

The Yankees traded for Cody Bellinger and put their faith in longtime top prospect Jasson Domínguez this winter, bringing in two outfielders to replace Verdugo and Juan Soto.

Verdugo was once a promising young bat with the Los Angeles Dodgers, until he got flipped to the Boston Red Sox as part of the blockbuster Mookie Betts trade. He continued to show flashes in Boston, starting when he finished 12th in AL MVP voting in 2020.

Between 2019 and 2023, Verdugo hit .283 with a .770 OPS, averaging 15 home runs, 39 doubles, 68 RBIs and a 3.0 WAR per 162 games.

The Yankees paid Verdugo $8.7 million in his final year of arbitration in 2024 after picking him up in a rare trade with the Red Sox. It appears Verdugo's salary won't be anywhere near that ballpark in 2025, considering no teams have even committed to freeing up a roster spot for him – let alone the eight-figure deal he was hoping for.

It remains to be seen if Verdugo would be willing to settle for a minor league deal, or if he will continue to wait around in free agency for a guaranteed deal.

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