Despite being signed through the 2024 season, Alex Verdugo’s future with the Boston Red Sox seems murky.
The Future of the Red Sox and Alex Verdugo
Verdugo started the 2023 season off white-hot. He was even considered to be a representative at the All-Star Game. During the first half of the season, Verdugo’s average hovered around the .300 mark. As of this writing, Verdugo is batting .275 with eight home runs and 41 RBI. While not bad numbers, they are not near the expectations of his potential when he was acquired in a package deal for Mookie Betts. Could the Sox trade Verdugo before the start of the 2024 season? Will the Sox sign him to an extension before the start of the 2024 season? Could the 2024 season be Verdugo’s last in Boston?
Trading Verdugo
This notion is predicated on what will happen with manager Alex Cora and GM Chaim Bloom. Cora stated his displeasure in his current position as Red Sox skipper. He also had to field questions as to why Verdugo has not been in the lineup recently. Cora stated it was a manager’s decision.
Alex Cora said it was a manager’s decision to bench Alex Verdugo. He wouldn’t say what he did but he talked about him being “unavailable” for the team
“He was ready to play but he wasn’t available,” Cora said— Christopher Smith (@SmittyOnMLB) August 5, 2023
Verdugo did play today in a 13-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, going 3-for-4 at the plate. If Cora stays, the Sox may entertain the notion of trading Verdugo to address areas of need. It goes without saying that one area of need is pitching. If the Sox feel they are getting a potential star pitcher or pitcher prospect, then seeing Verdugo traded would not be surprising. Verdugo says he loves Boston and does not want to go anywhere else. However, it may not be his decision. Red Sox fans know this all too well. Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts never wanted to leave Boston either. In the end, neither was given much of a choice but to leave. It would not be surprising to see the same thing happen with Verdugo.
Signing Verdugo to an Extension
If Cora is not the manager in 2024, and Verdugo is not traded before the season, he likely will not reach an extension. The Sox and players rarely sign extensions during the regular season; this can be a double-edged sword. Should both parties not sign an extension before 2024, and Verdugo has a phenomenal season, he likely goes elsewhere. On the other hand, if Verdugo signs an extension and continues to play to the level he has played at thus far, then the Sox will be skewered for making a huge mistake in offering an extension. But if he plays out his 2024 contract in Boston and performs poorly, then the Sox will be seen as having made a wise decision.
Alex Verdugo’s Final Season in Boston
In a sense, it is not Verdugo’s fault that his play has not lived up to the expectations the Sox and fans expected. To be fair, there have been very high expectations of Alex Verdugo since he arrived in Boston. For example, with his current stats in almost any other market, Verdugo would be seen as a solid player. When it comes to sports, New England and its fan bases, can be ruthless. Even with a lot of unanswered questions with Bloom and Cora, it would not be unreasonable to think that 2024 may be Verdugo’s final season in Boston. Given the precedent of not negotiating extensions during the regular season (except of course for Rafael Devers), odds are Verdugo is no longer with the Red Sox after 2024, and potentially sooner.
Takeaway
If the right trade scenario came along, especially for a pitcher, and a team is interested in Verdugo’s services, then Verdugo will likely be traded before the start of the 2024 season. If Verdugo is not traded, he likely plays in Boston until his contract is up in 2024. At that point, the Red Sox would probably let him walk. Verdugo has not lived up to the expectations the Red Sox and their fans have had of him.
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It is this writer’s opinion that those expectations were pretty lofty and unrealistic to begin with. As in many cases with players before him and the ones that will come after him, his efforts were appreciated while wearing a Red Sox uniform. At the end of the day, baseball, and most things now, are a business first and care about the bottom line, not the people that strive to make them successful.
Photo Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
Players Mentioned: Alex Verdugo, Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers
Managers Mentioned: Alex Cora
