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The New York Yankees losing Juan Soto could impact the other moves they make this offseason, even with players many don’t want back on the roster next season. If the Yankees don’t find a perfect replacement for Soto, they could re-sign Alex Verdugo to backup Jasson Dominguez.
The left-handed hitting outfielder had a brutal showing in 2024, performing at the worst level of his career for the Yankees.
While Verdugo’s return still doesn’t seem likely, nothing is set in stone until he signs with a different ball club.
When the time comes, Zachary D. Rymer believes the veteran will sign with the Miami Marlins, one of the three worst teams in baseball last season.
“The Marlins know they need to make their offense better, but president of baseball operations Peter Bendix doesn’t sound like he wants to go all-in on power. Which is probably just as well. Power is expensive and the Marlins are rebuilding.
“Assuming they can get him on a one-year deal, the Marlins should sign Verdugo and hope he becomes a trade chip. He offers a good bat-to-ball skill and quality defense, and he should be motivated after tanking his value with a 0.8-rWAR season in New York,” Rymer wrote on December 16.
Verdugo Will Likely Be Better Moving Forward
Verdugo’s numbers started to decline a bit in his final year with the Boston Red Sox, but they were as bad as ever with the New York Yankees last season.
He likely isn’t the player he was last year, but it’s also tough to get a feel for what he could be. Playing for the Red Sox and Yankees is no easy task, as they’re two of the biggest fan bases in the world, with fans who expect the most out of their players.
Playing for the Miami Marlins would be much different, and Verdugo might need that.
However, if he plays that poorly again for a team like the Marlins, he could be in a tough position finding another team. It’ll all come down to if he can improve, and John Griffin of SB Nation thinks it’s possible, but not with the Yankees.
“Do I want a redo on the trade? Absolutely not. But that doesn’t mean the Yankees should look for a reunion. Is Verdugo likely better than his .233/.291/.356 slash line? Almost certainly — not only was this a career-worst stat line by a significant margin, his worst performance cratered the most in the weeks following his crash into the wall.
“But even at his best, Verdugo is nothing more than league-average hitter who can capably handle the outfield corners and fake it in center field when pressed into service. One year ago, that’s precisely what the Yankees needed out of left field,” Griffin wrote on December 13.
Dominguez Needs to Play Every Night
The New York Yankees can’t afford to let Dominguez not play in every game moving forward. They need to trade the youngster or give him a real chance, and signing Verdugo would hurt that.
Having a veteran who was loved in the clubhouse like Verdugo has its benefits, but the Yankees need to play the best nine players every night, and unless they sign or trade for someone, Dominguez is in that mix.
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Yankees Predicted to Lose Disappointing Veteran to NL East Team