Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo entering a breakout or get out season
Three seasons later and the Boston Red Sox still have nothing to show for the Mookie Betts deal except for a few sparks of hope. As the main chip in that deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, outfielder Alex Verdugo has had his moments, but the team is still waiting for him to breakout.
Acquired in the head scratching blockbuster deal along with prospects Jeter Downs and Connor Wong, Verdugo came to the Red Sox with the raw talent to turn into something special.
At the very least the Red Sox brass was hoping Verdugo would take that same path Betts did…a path to stardom.
As unfair as that expectation was or even still is, the Boston Red Sox at the very least need Verdugo to be a very good player.
Can Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo finally put it all together?
There has been glimpses over his three-year stint in Boston, but at 26 years old the Sox outfielder is entering a breakout or else season. The attitude and athleticism are there and now it’s time to prove it.
"“Alex,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said, via NBC Sports Boston. “He’s getting to that area in his career of who he’s going to be. We talked about this with Benny [Andrew Benintendi] a few years ago and you see the player he has become. He has become a better defender, a good hitter, and I think Verdugo has a chance to hit for power, hit for average, but he can impact the game running the bases and playing defense.“We’re going to push him hard this offseason to get back to play faster, to play quicker. I think athletic-wise, he can do that.”"
Again, Verdugo has had his moments in a Red Sox uniform, but he’s only putting up mediocre numbers offensively. In 2022, he batted .280 with 11 Homers and 74 RBI. With just 1 stolen base, the speed and power Cora references as being more beneficial to Verdugo’s rise just weren’t there. That is the frustrating part when it comes to a player who had a high ceiling in the Dodgers organization.
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While there is still a commitment in challenging Verdugo, trading him this offseason is not out of the realm of possibility either. The Red Sox did do that with Benintendi prior to the 2021 season. With some intriguing outfielders out there in free agency or via trade, Boston Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom could decide to pull the trigger on a deal if Verdugo is part of a package that would bring a player who could fill another hole on the team back.
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On the flip side, seeing how Benintendi improved once he was traded could lead the Red Sox to give Verdugo another season to breakout into the player, they believe he can be. It really comes down to the player and what he does this offseason to improve his game.
In all, if that batting average goes up a little and he doubles those home run numbers while making an impact on the bases and in the outfield, the Boston Red Sox would at least get something out of that Mookie Betts trade.