Red Sox Outfielder May Be New York Yankees Trade Fit
The New York Yankees will likely spend part of this offseason trying to determine how it will surround Aaron Judge in its outfield in 2024.
Judge had a fine offensive season, in spite of a toe injury that took more than a month of his season.
But the rest of the outfield? Well …
Giancarlo Stanton may no longer be a consistent option and may be a better fit as a full-time designated hitter at age 33. In fact, the Yankees’ official roster lists him as a DH and he played more than two-thirds of his games last season at DH.
The Yankees called up a couple of promising prospects in 2023 in Everson Pereira and Jasson Domínguez, the latter of which needed Tommy John surgery after the season.
There’s also Jake Bauers, Billy McKinney, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Estevan Florial.
In other words, Judge could probably use some more experienced help, either by free agency or trade, and an outfielder in Boston stands out as a potential fit, according to MLBTradeRumors.com.
Boston outfielder Alex Verdugo slashed .264/.324/.421/.745 with 13 home runs, 54 RBI and is a Gold Glove finalist in right field. He is also signed through 2024.
Several teams were interested in Verdugo at last year’s trade deadline, and the Red Sox may be interested in moving him as he has one year left on his contract and there’s a new chief baseball officer, Craig Breslow. He’s likely eager to put his own imprint on the organization, one trying to turn itself around in 2024.
For the Yankees there would be some plusses to acquiring Verdugo. First, he’s a left-handed hitter, and acquiring him would help balance a lineup that is titling right-handed. Second, he has an above-average glove, as evidenced by his Gold Glove candidacy. He’s best suited as a corner outfielder. Third, the Yankees would be inflicting a little pain on their hated divisional rival, even though they would have to give up something to get him.
Most importantly trading for a player like Verdugo — one year away from free agency — does little damage to the team’s long-term plans for outfielders like Pereira, Domínguez and even Spencer Jones, their No. 1 prospect who finished the 2023 season at Double-A and could be ready by 2025.
The Yankees could supplement Judge through many means, but a deal for Verdugo might be worth reviewing.
