Latest news with #AlexVerdugo
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Yankees, Braves Castoff Alex Verdugo May Get Yet Another MLB Shot
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The seemingly endless saga of how Alex Verdugo went from promising, highly ranked prospect to the player that nobody wants is one of the more puzzling stories in MLB over the past few years. Now, it appears that Verdugo — who, though healthy, has played only 56 big-league games this year and has been without a team since July 5 — may be on his way back to The Show one more time, even after his own hometown paper, the Tucson-based Arizona Daily Star, declared his career at an end. CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 17: Alex Verdugo #24 of the New York Yankees looks on from the dugout during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians during Game Three of the American League Championship Series... CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 17: Alex Verdugo #24 of the New York Yankees looks on from the dugout during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians during Game Three of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field on October 17, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. MoreBleacher Report's Kerry Miller listed Verdugo among his potential late-season waiver-wire moves contenders could make. "And there he sits once again, unsigned for over a month at this point, even as teams like the Guardians, Royals and Phillies could put just about any warm body with outfield experience to some use," Miller wrote. The Los Angeles Dodgers' second-round draft pick in 2014, Verdugo rose to be the organization's No. 1 prospect by the start of the 2019 season. But a year later, he was traded to the Boston Red Sox as part of a package that brought 2018 American League MVP Mookie Betts to Los Angeles. After the 2023 season and a series of run-ins with Boston manager Alex Cora, the Red Sox shipped Verdugo to the New York Yankees. But when he became a free agent after the 2024 season, the Yankees turned their backs on him. And so did every other team. Until, that is, the Atlanta Braves signed him to a minor league deal just before the season got underway. The Braves called him up on April 18. By July 5, after Verdugo recorded a .239 batting average and .585 OPS with zero home runs, the Braves released the 29-year-old after he went through the waiver wire with no team putting a claim on him. More MLB: Ex-Yankee With 'Off-Field Issues' Expected Back in Majors After Braves Shocker Nor has any team has expressed interest in Verdugo since then, but that may soon change, according to an analysis by Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report. "Despite a decent 2024 campaign (at least in the outfield) with the Yankees in which he even hit a home run in the World Series, nobody seemed to want Alex Verdugo this past offseason," Miller wrote. "And there he sits once again, unsigned for over a month at this point, even as teams like the Guardians, Royals and Phillies could put just about any warm body with outfield experience to some use." More MLB: Ex-Yankees $9.2 Million Outfielder's 'Sad' Message as Free Agency Gets No Takers The Royals in particular are in a battle to get back to the playoffs for a second straight season after an eight-year absence, sitting four games off the third and final AL Wild Card spot. Yet of their three regular outfielders, none has an OPS over .668. Despite a couple of down years, Verdugo still carries a respectable career OPS of .732. At $138 million, Kansas City carries the 12th-lowest payroll in baseball, making Verdugo who could be acquired for the prorated remainder of his $1.5 million Braves contract — approximately $375,000 — a viable option for a late-season playoff push. More MLB: Braves Announcement Appears to Seal Fate of Yankees Castoff Alex Verdugo
Yahoo
27-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Red Sox superstar might miss return to Boston
Former Red Sox star Mookie Betts might miss Friday's game against his former team when the Dodgers come to Boston. His status for the remainder of the three-game series is uncertain. Dodger manager Dave Roberts said Betts could miss the game to deal with some unspecified off-the-field issues. 'There might be some things going on that he might not be around, that he's got to deal with personally,' Roberts told after Wednesday's win over the Minnesota Twins. 'Everything is okay with him, but yeah, we'll see.' After struggling with illness in spring training, Betts is battling through a season-long slump, hitting .238 with an OPS of .679. Both are career lows. He has 11 home runs and has driven in 45 runs. Betts spent the first six seasons of his career in Boston and was the 2018 MVP while leading the Red Sox to a World Series victory. Amid rumors that he wouldn't re-sign in Boston as a free agent, Betts was traded to the Dodgers in 2020 for Alex Verdugo, Jeter Downs and Connor Wong in a deal that still angers Boston fans. He's been an All-Star and has earned MVP votes in four of his first five years as a Dodger. He didn't play in Wednesday's game for Los Angeles. More Red Sox coverage Red Sox' 'uber-athletic' 1st-rounder cracks Keith Law's Top 60, along with 2 other prospects Fenway Insider Live: Sean McAdam on trade deadline, potential Red Sox moves Red Sox righty said he'd be the janitor to stay in MLB; now he's a 'dude out of the bullpen' again Red Sox rookie finds redemption with game-winning HR after 'crazy' calls ruined two days Red Sox get 'hero moment' from lefty-masher, grind out 'signature win' after trailing by 5 Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
26-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Facing Dodgers for first time gives Walker Buehler chance to reflect on his time in L.A.
It had been nine months since Walker Buehler struck out Alex Verdugo, stretched his arms on the Yankee Stadium mound, and was dogpiled after recording the final outs of last year's World Series. But on Friday afternoon, ahead of Buehler's first reunion with the Dodgers since departing for the Boston Red Sox in the offseason, the memory remained vividly fresh — for him, his former teammates and coaches, and even a traveling contingent of Dodgers fans in town for this weekend's series at Fenway Park. As Buehler chatted with members of his old organization hours before Friday's series opener, Dodger fans taking a pregame tour of the stadium spotted him on the diamond. Within moments, an otherwise empty ballpark was echoing with cheers and applause, the fans shouting Buehler's name as he acknowledged them with a wave of his hand. 'That was really cool,' Buehler said later, the moment reminding him of a conversation he had with Dodgers broadcaster Orel Hershiser (a World Series hero of a different generation who became a mentor of Buehler's during his time with the team). Read more: Beyond the bullpen, how aggressive will the Dodgers be at the MLB trade deadline? 'Talking to Orel about some of that stuff that he's gone through and the way people react to him, I think it's obviously two different situations,' he added. 'But for the fans walking around to yell at me, I kind of imagine in L.A. it'll be like that for a while, I hope.' Indeed, if there was any doubt about how Buehler's Dodgers tenure was destined to be remembered, his role in last year's World Series enshrined it in legendary status. No, the right-hander didn't quite reach the Cy Young-winning expectations many had when he first came up as a highly touted prospect with a big fastball and fiery mound presence. For as dominant as he was from 2018-2021, when he went 39-13 with a 2.82 earned-run average and two All-Star selections, the end of his seven-year stint was derailed by a 2022 Tommy John surgery (the second of his career) and a disappointing regular-season performance upon his return in 2024 (when he was 1-6 in the regular season with a 5.38 ERA). Buehler's best Dodger moments, though, always came in the postseason: From his division-clinching gem in Game 163 as a rookie in 2018, to his 1.80 ERA in five starts during the Dodgers' 2020 World Series run, to when he took the ball on short rest twice in a failed title defense in 2021, to his 10 consecutive scoreless innings in the final two rounds of last year's postseason most of all; an unexpected star turn following his post-Tommy John struggles throughout the summer. 'That moment means a lot to all of us, that we were a part of it with the city and the fans that came out every day for us there,' he said, while talking to reporters in the Red Sox's home dugout. 'I think it would have been hard to leave that for anywhere — except for here.' While Buehler expressed interest in remaining with the Dodgers ahead of his free agency last winter, his eventual departure became clear in the first week of the offseason. The team didn't extend him a one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer — which ended up being the same amount he signed for with the Red Sox. The Dodgers instead went after Blake Snell with a $182-million contract, and won the January sweepstakes for Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki. 'It was an interesting situation. I think there's obviously two sides to that situation,' Buehler said when reflecting back on his free agency. 'We had conversations about it, we talked through it. And they went and signed guys that they wanted to sign. And I signed with a place that I wanted to play. It kind of is what it is.' Read more: Shaikin: Walker Buehler struggling to rediscover his Dodgers World Series magic with Red Sox In hindsight, it was an outcome neither side seemed to be regret. In Buehler's absence, the Dodgers have managed to work around first-half injuries to several key starters, and are on track to have a potential postseason rotation featuring Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani and Snell (who could return from a shoulder injury after one last minor-league rehab start with triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday). Meanwhile, Buehler said he has enjoyed playing for the Red Sox, even though he has regressed with a woeful 5.72 ERA (sixth-worst in the majors among 107 pitchers with at least 80 innings). 'It's been a really fun year, outside of some of the playing stuff for me,' he said. 'But my family and me, we're loving it here and have felt really very welcomed here, as well, just like we were in LA.' Buehler has been better lately, giving up just three earned runs in his last 18 innings to help the Red Sox maintain the final wild-card spot in the American League. His next start, fittingly, will come in Sunday's series-finale against the Dodgers. 'It'll be interesting,' Buehler said with a laugh. 'Obviously, I was one of the last of the wave coming up there. So I've kind of got little bits and pieces of it playing against Joc [Pederson] and [Cody Bellinger] and Corey [Seager]. So it'll be nine of those for me, I guess.' Buehler wished he could have squared off against Clayton Kershaw; something he said he and the future Hall of Fame left-hander (who will instead pitch Saturday's game) joked about while meeting up on Thursday's off day. Still, Buehler added, "I think you just try to keep it as normal as you can. Obviously it'll be a little awkward or funny or whatever. But I don't know. At the end of the day, we're all playing a sport for a paycheck. The goal is go and to get one over on them. I don't think the preparation against them is really different." Friday, on the other hand, was a day for nostalgia, with Buehler receiving his World Series ring from Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and most of the remaining players from last year's team during pregame batting practice. Read more: Freddie Freeman's walk-off hit saves the day, lifts Dodgers to win over Twins 'I was very fortunate to be drafted and developed and get to spend so much time there,' Buehler said. 'Should credit a lot of good success that I've had to them, and how they handled and treated me. Nothing but good things to say there." As for if his ring — a diamond-studded reminder of what, for now at least, remains the lasting image of his Dodgers career — gave him any closure, Buehler smirked. "I think you already have it,' he said. 'But I think everyone kind of knows I'm on a one-year contract, so you never know what's going to happen down the road.' Betts absent for Friday The Dodgers were without shortstop Mookie Betts, who was home in Nashville with his family attending to a personal matter. Roberts said Betts was expected to rejoin the club on Saturday, but was unsure if he'd be back in the starting lineup for that day's game. Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Boston Red Sox Alex Verdugo designated for assignment (report)
The Atlanta Braves have designated ex-Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo for assignment, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Wednesday. The Braves needed to open a spot on the active roster for Jurickson Profar, who is returning from an 80-game PED suspension. Verdugo signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with Atlanta on March 20 after receiving little interest in free agency. The 29-year-old batted .239 with a .296 on-base percentage, .289 slugging percentage and .585 OPS in 56 games (213 plate appearances). He had zero homers. All 10 of his extra-base hits were doubles and he knocked in only 12 runs. Verdugo spent four seasons with Boston (2020-23) after being acquired with Connor Wong and Jeter Downs from the Dodgers for Mookie Betts on Feb. 10, 2020. He posted a .281/.338/.424/.761 line with 43 homers, 124 doubles and eight triples in 493 games (2,071 plate appearances). The Sox traded him to the rival Yankees on Dec. 5 for Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice. His one year in New York didn't go well. He slashed .233/.291/.356/.647 in 149 games (621 plate appearances). More Red Sox coverage 3 Red Sox predicted to make All-Star Game, MLB insider says Red Sox, following poor road trip, institute changes to pre-game hitters' meetings Red Sox unveil pitching plans for suspended game, regularly-scheduled contest Terry Francona returns to Boston with Reds: 'I had eight really, really good years here' How Red Sox 'beat' other clubs to 6-foot-7 lefty prospect who hits 97 mph Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Braves release ex-Yankees, Dodgers outfielder
The post Braves release ex-Yankees, Dodgers outfielder appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Atlanta Braves were thrust into desperation mode just days into the 2025 season, as big free-agent signing Jurickson Profar got hit with an 80-game performance-enhancing drug suspension at the end of March. With Ronald Acuna Jr. recovering from a torn ACL in his left knee and Profar serving his punishment, general manager Alex Anthopoulos turned to Alex Verdugo. The veteran outfielder produced some clutch moments for the team, but this reclamation project did not turn out as hoped. Advertisement And now it has officially ended. Atlanta released Verdugo on Saturday after he cleared waivers, per The Athletic's David O'Brien. Offensive scuffles continue to hamper the 29-year-old, who was known as a capable contact hitter early in his MLB career. He posted a .239 batting average, .296 on-base percentage, .289 slugging percentage and .585 OPS in 56 games for the Braves. He did not hit a single home run in 197 at-bats. Alex Verdugo will try to get his mojo back after unsuccessful Braves stint It is hard to gauge Verdugo's market moving forward. He has now amassed scant production in the batter's box for a second consecutive year. Injuries could afford him an opportunity somewhere else, just as they did in Atlanta, but the 2014 second-round draft pick must quickly make an adjustment in his hitting approach if he ever wants to earn considerable playing time again. Verdugo was a plus-contributor with the Boston Red Sox from 2020-22 and was a borderline All-Star for them in 2023 before plunging into a massive slump at the end of the season. He is still young enough to spark a turnaround, so a couple of organizations should be willing to at least extend a minor-league contract offer. The Braves could not afford to wait out the experiment any further, however. Advertisement They have lost seven of their last nine and are now eight games out of a National League Wild Card position, trailing the Miami Marlins and only holding a slim advantage over the Pittsburgh Pirates. With the July 31 trade deadline looming large, this franchise is at a crossroads. One can say the same about Alex Verdugo. Related: Why Ronald Acuña Jr.'s All-Star honor puts him in Joe DiMaggio company Related: Braves' Spencer Strider makes magic with between-the-legs pick vs. Orioles
