Fan-Favorite Red Sox Outfielder On Potential Trade: 'Honestly, I Don't Care'
The Boston Red Sox and the rest of Major League Baseball are nearing the Aug. 1 trade deadline with a lot on the line.
For the Red Sox, it may appear like they are in a similar situation to last year. A few games back of the last American League postseason spot and unsure whether they should buy or sell off players.
But this year is different.
This version of the Red Sox could cause some damage if they got into the playoffs, whereas last year's club had very little chance of doing anything significant.
Even though there could be postseason baseball at Fenway this year, that doesn't mean chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom isn't looking to trade off players at the deadline as well. That could include a certain fan-favorite outfielder.
According to MassLive's Sean McAdam, the Red Sox have expressed to other clubs that they’re willing to listen to offers for Alex Verdugo ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline. Also, a source with another American League team confirmed to McAdam that the Red Sox inquired as to whether Verdugo would be of interest to them.
I floated the possibility that the Red Sox would potentially look to deal Verdugo away a few weeks ago, but never actually thought that would be a reality. This is the first substantial report that leads us to believe Verdugo's days on the Red Sox could (unfortunately) be numbered.
Alex didn't seem too pleased with the report, but acknowledges the business side of baseball will always be part of the process of being a big leaguer.
“Honestly, I don’t care. I don’t care,” Verdugo said Sunday morning at Oracle Park, as transcribed by Sean McAdam. “Whatever happens, happens. I really don’t care about that stuff. I’m here playing, I’m with the Red Sox. I thought the same thing when I was with the Dodgers. I thought I wouldn’t get traded and I ended up getting traded. This isn’t my first time and I feel like once you get traded, you don’t care. You don’t care.
“I want to stay with the Red Sox," Verdugo continued. "I want to be here. But at the end of the day, it’s a business and all I have to do is go out and play. I separate (the game and the business.)”
I'd be lying if I said that seeing these comments from Verdugo didn't make me sad. Since being dealt here from Los Angeles, Verdugo has easily been one of my favorite players on this club. His effort, commitment to improving, and how he has embraced the city of Boston are things you don't always see from players that are traded to the Sox.
Seeing Verdugo dealt away by Tuesday's deadline would be a tough one to handle for me and several other Red Sox supporters. Only time will tell what happens, but these reports don't have me feeling great about the situation.
More MLB: Red Sox Star Pitcher Takes Hard Stance On Whether He Wants To Be Traded
