The Red Sox should not trade Alex Verdugo this offseason
We all know that Alex Verdugo was the centerpiece of the Mookie Betts trade a couple of years ago. I am not going to bore you with the overblown analysis of that trade other than he was the centerpiece.
Instead, focusing on the here and now with Verdugo is important. Where there is smoke, generally there is fire. One topic floating around social media is whether the Red Sox should consider trading Verdugo this offseason.
Verdugo ended this past season hitting .280 with 166 hits, a career high 39 doubles, one triple, 11 homers, career high 74 RBIs, one stolen base and a .732 OPS.
While he added some career high’s to the back of his baseball card, Verdugo has also regressed some as well. The 26-year-old has been average statistically the last two seasons. He’s hit .284 with 12 homers, 68 RBIs with a .754 OPS during that span.
One key stat that everyone looks at is WAR and Verdugo’s WAR. The Arizona native had a 1.2 WAR down from 2.2 the previous season.
So what does Verdugo need to work on this winter?
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said at the end of the season that Verdugo has the most to prove heading into 2023.
"Alex," he said. "He's getting to that area in his career of who he's going to be. We talked about this with Benny a few years ago and you see the player he has become. He has become a better defender, a good hitter, and I think Verdugo has a chance to hit for power, hit for average, but he can impact the game running the bases and playing defense.
"We're going to push him hard this offseason to get back to play faster, to play quicker. I think athletic-wise, he can do that."
There is no debate that Verdugo should look to work on improving his ability on the base paths. However defensively, he made one less error this past year while playing in 100+ additional innings. Also, fans should keep in mind that Verdugo was playing with a broken toe at one point during the regular season, according to his brother.
Will Verdugo end up traded like Hunter Renfroe?
Verdugo has the potential to earn around $7 million in arbitration this winter.
Could the Red Sox move Verdugo similar to Hunter Renfroe last December? It’s possible, however, if the Red Sox do trade Verdugo, Chaim Bloom better have a more thought out plan for the outfield. Boston never replaced Renfroe, yes, Jackie Bradley Jr. came back from the Brewers but he was not the same type of hitter.
Boston didn't truly address the hole in the outfield until August at the trade deadline when they acquired Tommy Pham from the Reds.
Verdugo could hit for power but that shouldn’t be the main part of his offensive game. He added weight last winter to help with his power numbers. However Cora thinks that hurt him.
"I think it kind of like, cost him in other aspects of the game," Cora said. "I think the offseason is going to dictate where he plays (in the field) next year, but I do believe he can be a lot better. A lot better regardless of whether he plays left or right, he can be a better defender. ... This is a guy, we envision him to be an impact player not only in the batter's box, but on the other side."
Verdugo’s passion resonates with Red Sox fans
Verdugo is a fiery player who wears his heart on his sleeve. His passion for the game is not something that anyone can question. His affinity for his teammates and the city is apparent.
“I care about my team, I want to do good, I want to help the team any way I can,” said Verdugo. “So when I do something good, it’s a genuine reaction. I feel good, I feel fired up, I see my boys kind of get fired up. I just feed off them.”
If the Red Sox are going to trade Verdugo, the club should look to acquire starting pitching back in the deal. Boston has work to do with the rotation this winter. My concern is who they’d replace him with in the outfield?
If the Red Sox moved Verdugo for pitching and replaced him with Christian Arroyo in left and signed Aaron Judge for right field, that’s not a terrible plan. The likelihood Judge will leave New York is going to be an interesting topic to monitor this winter.
Boston should stay the course with Verdugo for at least the 2023 season. See how he looks during the World Baseball Classic with Mexico and then this spring. If he continues to “regress” then Boston should look to move the outfielder.
This past season didn't go to plan in general for the Sox. Verdugo isn’t the problem on this team. The problem started with how it was initially constructed and that falls on Bloom.
Follow Chris on Twitter @ChrisHenrique
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