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Alex Verdugo came up on one side of the rivalry, but now he's with the New York Yankees. That makes him part of a pretty rare club of ballplayers, and an even rarer one when considering that he was traded and not brough in via free agency.
The Yankees feel like he can be a major addition to the club for 2024. They needed left-handed hitting and a corner outfield, which is what he is. They also needed some toughness and "swag" for lack of a better term, and Verdugo certainly brings that to the table.
It's all something that the Yankees took notice of, with the Boston Red Sox star rarely missing games. He said via the New York Post that he plays hurt often and doesn't expect to miss a lot of games for New York:
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“I play through s**t every year, man. I’m not a guy if I have a bruised heel or if my shoulder’s hanging a little bit, I play through it. We work with what we have that day and I try to put forth the best of myself in the circumstances. I push through whatever.”
It's the toughness and willingness to go out and play on an injury that Aaron Judge noticed, and he's one of the reasons the Yankees made this trade. The Yankees have seen their fair share of major injuries over the last few years, and they wanted someone who could be dependable. It seems as if they got that.
Aaron Boone excited for Alex Verdugo
Everyone in the Yankees organization, including a lot of players, is really happy to get Alex Verdugo on their side this season. The outfielder made some big plays against them over the years.
Manager Aaron Boone is especially thrilled to get his hands on the lefty, saying:
“He’s fit in really well here early. Even though he’s had a good start to his career, I feel like he’s one of those guys that’s kind of scratching the surface.”
The short porch in right field and a new home stadium might be exactly what Verdugo needs to really get going.
