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According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Atlanta Braves are interested in landing a left-handed hitter this winter, giving former New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo a potential landing spot.
When the Yankees landed Verdugo, the hope was for him to come in and be an above-average hitter in the middle of the lineup. Instead, his bat never came around, and despite the elite defense he played throughout the campaign, it seems likely that Verdugo will only spend one season with the team.
With the Braves looking for a left-handed hitter, Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors named Verdugo a potential candidate for Atlanta, among others.
“Fortunately for the Braves, there’s a fairly deep pool of inexpensive left-handed-hitting bats on this offseason’s market. Max Kepler, Michael Conforto, Alex Verdugo, Jesse Winker, David Peralta, Mike Tauchman and switch-hitting former top prospect Dylan Carlson are among the lefty bats available this winter,” Adams wrote on November 25.
A contending team filled with veterans, the Braves could be a logical landing spot for the outfielder.
Yankees Need to Allow Verdugo to Walk
Unless there’s a scenario where Verdugo signs a deal well below market price, the New York Yankees letting him walk is the logical thing to do.
They also have to eventually give Jasson Dominguez the opportunity to prove whether he’s an every-game MLB player, and signing Verdugo would only further block him.
Zach Pressnell of FanSided predicted Verdugo is on his way out this winter. Pressnell believes Dominguez is the biggest reason for letting Verdugo go, which could open the door for him to play for the Atlanta Braves or a different club.
“While the Yankees and Aaron Boone were big fans of Alex Verdugo all season long, the outfield of the future in New York is Jasson Dominguez, Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, if all goes according to plan. Dominguez has struggled to find consistent playing time and it has everything to do with Verdugo being ahead of him, but that shouldn’t last any longer,” Pressnell wrote on October 30.
“Verdugo, 28, struggled badly in 2024. He slashed .233/.291/.356, posting an OPS+ below 100 for the first time since his age 22 season. He has steadily declined over the last few seasons and the Yankees can’t afford to bring him back for the price tag that another team will be willing to give him.”
What Will Verdugo’s Contract Look Like?
Spotrac surprisingly values the former New York Yankees left fielder at $60.8 million for four years. That deal would come out to about $15.2 million per year, a massive price to pay for a player who’s struggled offensively.
In 2024, Verdugo slashed .233/.291/.356 with 13 home runs and a below-league average 83 OPS+. His 93 OPS+ was the worst in his career in any season he’s played in more than 25 games, a good indication of his struggles.
Perhaps another club will look at his career 101 OPS+ and Gold Glove-caliber defense and give him $15 million AAV, but the Yankees absolutely shouldn’t be the team that hands that deal out.
On top of Dominguez needing to play, Verdugo isn’t worth that money.