Alex Verdugo an option to leadoff for the Red Sox?
One question that has been asked this spring is who’ll bat leadoff for the Red Sox in 2023?
After the signing of Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida in December, many assumed that manager Alex Cora would pencil him in atop his lineup.
That will not be the case. Cora poured cold water on that idea on Sunday.
Alex Verdugo could be an option at the top of the lineup. He has hit leadoff 42 times in his career with good results (.288/.341/.412).
“Doesn’t matter to me,” Verdugo said. “Big league lineup is all I care about. I hit the way I hit no matter where I am in the lineup.”
In his spring debut on Sunday, Verdugo was 2-for-2 in the Sox 7-6 win over the Rays.
Cora was happy with his results, “We’re excited about him.”
Verdugo’s brother Chris thinks that Alex should talk to his coaches about that opportunity.
“I talked to Alex a couple weeks ago about hitting lead off, and how he would be perfect for it, he seemed to agree. I told him to let the coaches know that he’s interested,” tweeted Chris Verdugo.
Cora is poised to see his right fielder have a big season. He also continues to talk about the importance of it when asked by team reporters.
“He understands that it’s a big year,” Cora said to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo.
“I’m not saying he had a horrible year last year. He was actually really good towards the end. But there’s more there. This is a guy that people talked about him, a few years ago in the Dodgers organization, as a five-tool player. People go through stages and they learn. I do believe he learned his lesson last year. Like he said, he’s tired of people talking (expletive) about him. He’s going to put in work and go out there and play.”
Follow Chris on Twitter @ChrisHenrique
For additional Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots, MLB and NFL content follow Beyond the Monster on Twitter @BeyondtheMnstr.
