The Atlanta Braves have bolstered their outfield depth, signing left fielder Alex Verdugo to a $1.5 million deal. Verdugo, who spent this past season with the New York Yankees, joins Atlanta after perhaps the worst season of his career. But despite a disappointing 2024, Verdugo has been productive in the past as a member of the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers, and he will hope to build on that previous success with the Braves.
Alex Verdugo to Braves. $1.5M.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 20, 2025
Report: Alex Verdugo Signs With Braves
Traded to New York last offseason in a rare Red Sox-Yankees deal, Verdugo started off strong in pinstripes but faltered for the rest of the year, finishing with a .233/.291/.356 slash line. But despite his lack of offensive production, the 28-year-old proved valuable via his top-tier defensive skills. He registered 7 outfield assists last season, and even led the American League with 12 in 2023. In the postseason, his consistent fielding (including an outstanding catch in Game 1 of the World Series) and defensive presence warranted a spot in the Yankees’ lineup in spite of his struggles at the plate.
Verdugo joins the Braves hoping to improve his offensive performance this upcoming season. 2024 may have just been a blip on his ledger, being that the 28-year-old has put up generally good hitting numbers in recent years with Boston. In 2020, he hit .308/.367/.478 with 36 runs in 53 games, even garnering MVP votes. Two seasons ago, he posted a .745 OPS, almost 100 points higher than this past season (.647).
The veteran left fielder is also experienced in October, playing in 25 total playoff games (including 14 this past postseason). In those games, he has 14 RBI and a .256 batting average. Even in the unlikely event that his offensive numbers are similar to last regular season, Verdugo will still give the Braves plenty of excellent defense in addition to his postseason experience.
Main Photo: © Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
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