Inside The Pinstripes

Ex-Yankees Outfielder Alex Verdugo Deemed 'Natural Fit' For Rival Team

Former New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo seems to make a lot of sense for this AL Team in free agency.
Grant Young|
May 7, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Alex Verdugo (24) tosses his bat after hitting a three run home run in the first inning against the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
May 7, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Alex Verdugo (24) tosses his bat after hitting a three run home run in the first inning against the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

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Despite not having the 2024 regular season that he nor the New York Yankees would have wanted, Alex Verdugo is still attracting interest from several teams in free agency this offseason.

MassLive MLB insider Chris Cotillo alluded to this a January 7 X post that wrote, "Pirates are indeed hot after Alex Verdugo and are a team to watch there, as @ByRobertMurray reported. Other teams like Mets, Jays involved, too."

It's no surprise that Verdugo is a hot commodity, as it seems the most likely outcome for him as that he would sign a short-term deal that would provide an opportunity for him to show that he's better than the .647 OPS he produced during the regular season for the Yankees.

And Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer suggested that he thinks a pairing between Verdugo and the Houston Astros makes sense for both sides in a January 24 article.

"The Astros have been plenty active this winter, scoring new starters for their corner infield spots (Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes) and an interesting starting pitcher (Hayden Wesneski). Kyle Tucker's departure nonetheless looms large over the outfield," Rymer wrote.

"The Astros should at least try to replace him with another left-handed hitter. Alex Verdugo is a natural fit, and he reportedly is on the club's radar."

Cotillo also suggested that the Astros have showed interest on Verdugo on January 7, as he replied to his initial X post saying, "Adding two other teams to this mix, with Pirates leading the pack: Astros and Angels at least checked in like Toronto, Mets did."

Sounds like Verdugo could be remaining in the American League this offseason.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for On SI. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee. You can follow him on X: @GrvntYoung

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