The New York Yankees announced Tuesday that they have acquired OF Alex Verdugo from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for RHP Greg Weissert, RHP Richard Fitts and RHP Nicholas Judice.
Verdugo, 27, hit .264 (144-for-546) with 81R, 37 doubles, 5 triples, 13HR, 54RBI and 45BB in 142 games with Boston in 2023. He set a career high in extra-base hits (55) and tied his career best in home runs (also 13 in 2021). Verdugo was named a Gold Glove finalist this year after posting a .990 fielding percentage (308TC/3E). His 12 outfield assists were tied for the third-most among Major League outfielders (tied for the most in the AL) and his nine defensive runs saved were the third-most among Major League right fielders according to Sports Info Solutions.
Over seven Major League seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2017-19) and Boston Red Sox (2020-23), the lefthanded batter has hit .281 (654-for-2,327) with 335R, 152 doubles, 10 triples, 57HR, 255RBI and 191BB in 651 games. In his career, he has hit .290 (477-for-1,644) with 119 doubles, 6 triples, 50HR and 142BB against right-handed pitching.
Verdugo’s 108 doubles over the last three seasons (2021-23) are the fourth-most in the American League and tied for the seventh-most in the Majors. Since joining the Red Sox and becoming an everyday player in the 2020 season, Verdugo’s ratio of 6.47 plate appearances per strikeout is the 16th best among the 126 Major Leaguers with at least 1,500 plate appearances in that span. He is also one of just two Major League players to strike out less than 100 times in each of the last three seasons (min. 600PA), joining Cleveland’s José Ramírez.
Verdugo has appeared at all three outfield positions in his career, playing 291 games (255 starts) in right field, 251 games (216 starts) in left field and 118 games (100 starts) in center field. He is one of just eight Major League outfielders (min. 50% of games in OF) to appear in at least 140 games in each of the last three seasons (2021-23).
The Tucson, Ariz., native was originally selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft. He was acquired by the Boston Red Sox along with INF Jeter Downs and C Connor Wong in exchange for OF Mookie Betts, LHP David Price and cash considerations on February 10, 2020.
Fitts, 23, has gone 18-13 with a 3.57 ERA (264.2IP, 221H, 110R/105ER, 63BB, 294K, 36HR) in 49 career starts over two minor league seasons in the Yankees organization (2022-23). The right-handed pitcher spent the entire 2023 season with Double-A Somerset, going 11-5 with a 3.48 ERA (152.2IP, 131H, 60R/59ER, 43BB, 163K, 22HR) over 27 starts. The Helena, Ala., native was drafted by the Yankees in the sixth round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of Auburn University.
Judice, 22, has yet to make his professional debut. The Baton Rouge, La., native was drafted by the Yankees in the eighth round of the 2023 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Louisiana-Monroe.
Weissert, 28, has gone 3-0 with a 4.60 ERA (31.1IP, 27H, 16ER, 13BB, 33K, 4HR) in 29 career relief appearances over parts of two Major League seasons with the Yankees (2022-23). The right-handed pitcher posted a 4.05 ERA (20.0IP, 21H, 9ER, 8BB, 22K, 3HR) in 17 relief outings this past season. He also went 5-3 with 10 saves and a 2.90 ERA (40.1IP, 27H, 18R/13ER, 17BB, 58K, 5HR) in 38 relief appearances with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2023. The Bay Shore, N.Y., native was drafted by the Yankees in the 18th round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of Fordham University.
This marks just the third Major League trade between the Yankees and Red Sox since 2015 and the second this calendar year (Yankees acquired OF Greg Allen in exchange for minor league RHP Diego Hernández and cash considerations on May 19, 2023; and Yankees acquired a player to be named later or cash considerations from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for RHP Adam Ottavino and RHP Frank German on January 25, 2021).