Boone: Yankees had Verdugo in mind, cites outfielder's 'edge' - ESPN

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Acquired in a rare trade between the Yankees and rival Red Sox, Alex Verdugo can figure on being a starting corner outfielder for New York.

«He's actually been a guy that we've talked about now for, for a while,» Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday, a day after New York obtained Verdugo for right-handers Greg Weissert, Richard Fitts and Nicholas Judice. «I feel like there's an edge he plays the game with.»

The left-handed-hitting Verdugo batted .264 with 13 homers, 54 RBIs and a .745 OPS in his fourth season with the Red Sox. A Gold Glove finalist, he had 12 outfield assists and nine defensive runs saved.

In addition to getting Verdugo, 27, the Yankees have talked with San Diego about a possible trade for three-time All-Star outfielder Juan Soto.

«I allow myself to dream on a lot of things,» Boone said, «I always start to imagine what it could look like.»

Verdugo was benched twice last season by Boston manager Alex Cora; on June 8 for not hustling between first and second on a grounder a night earlier and on Aug. 5 for arriving late to the ballpark.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, hired in October, said those issues didn't factor into the trade.

«I didn't get into that stuff with Alex that much,» Boone said. «But we hear those things from across the way and stuff, so I'm not overly concerned about that.»

A seven-year major league veteran, Verdugo has a .281 career batting average with 57 homers and 255 RBIs with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Red Sox.

Selected by the Dodgers in the second round of the 2014 amateur draft, Verdugo was acquired by Boston with infielder Jeter Downs and catcher/second baseman Connor Wong in the February 2020 trade that sent slugger Mookie Betts and pitcher