The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees don’t often make trades with each other. When the Red Sox sent Alex Verdugo to the Yankees for three pitchers this offseason, it was just the eighth trade between the two since 1969.
It’s not surprising that Boston doesn’t want to do business with New York. This is arguably the biggest rivalry in sports and the one they made in the early 1900s doesn’t help the cause.
The Red Sox sent Babe Ruth to the Yankees for cash and the rest is history. If this deal never happened, the team from the Bronx that everyone loves wouldn’t be the same. While Verdugo probably won’t do what Ruth did, he was a decent addition for New York. According to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, Verdugo says Aaron Judge was pushing for the team to acquire him and Anthony Rizzo mentioned a potential jersey swap last year when they played against each other. “Rizzo was dropping hints at me at first base during the year. I was just telling him, ‘Nah, no way, man, no way.’ As soon as I came over here, Rizz was like, ‘I told you so!'” Verdugo expressed his frustration in Boston and fans felt a similar way.
It was known around the league and by the fans that he didn’t want to be with the Red Sox any longer. His actions proved that. However, it’s surprising to hear him say that Rizzo was trying to recruit him during the season last year. Verdugo posted a 2.6 WAR after slashing .264/.324/.421 with 13 home runs in 2023. He’s expected to have an opportunity to play in the outfield alongside Judge and Juan Soto as their star prospect Jasson Dominguez recovers from Tommy John surgery.
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