Why ex-Red Sox OF Alex Verdugo is looking forward to a ‘very personal’ series at Fenway
Rivalry aside, Friday’s series opener between the Yankees and the Red Sox is a homecoming for Verdugo, who spent four years in Boston.
Nearly seven months after a trade sent Alex Verdugo from Boston to the Bronx in exchange for three pitching prospects, the former Red Sox outfielder will return to Fenway for the first time.
Rivalry aside, Friday’s series opener between the Yankees and the Red Sox is a homecoming for Verdugo, one he says is “very personal.” The 28-year-old spent four years with the Red Sox, joining the organization in 2020 as the cornerstone in the trade that sent Mookie Betts and David Price to the Dodgers.
“That’s my favorite ballpark and still is, to this day. I love the atmosphere, I love the layout of it. I’ve got a lot of friends over there on that team, too,” Verdugo said about his former team, per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. “To be able to see them is going to be refreshing and nice to see them again.”
The outfielder’s recent comments come as a surprise, considering his contentious departure from Boston in December. After two inconsistent seasons in 2022 and 2023, Verdugo’s frustrations reached a boiling point in the fall. Just before Boston’s Aug. 5 matchup against the Blue Jays, after allegedly showing up late to the ballpark too many times, manager Alex Cora benched Verdugo. Later, Cora gave one of his most scathing postgame press conferences ever, directly calling out his player’s tardiness.
“I’m very disappointed,” Cora said, per Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe. “This is probably one of my worst days here in this organization. Today we took a step back. I feel responsible because I’m the leader of this team… Today we took a step back as a team.”
With only a few weeks left in the regular season, and no hopes of the playoffs, a trade seemed inevitable. New chief baseball officer Craig Breslow wasted no time during the Winter Meetings, sending Verdugo to New York in exchange for righties Greg Weissert, Richard Fitts and Nicholas Judice.
“I really loved the organization,” Verdugo said. “I really loved wearing the Red Sox jersey and playing for my teammates. It was more of just wanting to be in a winning atmosphere.”
Now, Verdugo has landed with a team that may just have the right pieces to succeed. The Yankees hold the second-best record in baseball right now (46-21), just behind the Phillies.
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