3 Offseason Moves the Red Sox Need to Make the Playoffs in 2024
By Tyler Maher
3. Trade Alex Verdugo
Bloom was never going to trade Alex Verdugo because he was the best thing Boston got back in the Mookie Betts trade, but the new GM won’t care about that.
Verdugo has one year of team control left before he becomes a free agent, and the Red Sox probably aren’t going to re-sign him (or at least, they shouldn’t). He’s given them way too many headaches over the last few years, and his moderate talent as a league-average outfielder isn’t worth the trouble.
Shipping Verdugo out opens up a spot in the outfield for Rafaela and allows Boston to address other deficiencies on the roster. If Verdugo can be part of a package that brings back a starting pitcher, for instance, it’s a no-brainer.
Many Red Sox fans believe Bloom had a mandate from ownership to trade Betts when he arrived in the fall of 2019 (I don’t, but that’s an argument for another time). Well, the new GM should have a mandate to trade Verdugo, because the team will ultimately be better off without him.
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