What is the hold up to extend Alex Verdugo?
As the trade deadline starts to approach, it is worth discussing the future of Alex Verdugo. With one more year of arbitration remaining on his contract, Verdugo is open to the idea of a long-term extension. It appears to some that the front office is hesitant on the idea of a long-term investment of Verdugo.Â
With the Red Sox, as of 6/27/2023, Verdugo has slashed .290/.349/.432 with 35 homers. He has played in 422 total games since the pandemic season. Verdugo has solid numbers defensively and is one of the better defenders on the Red Sox. He is a solid MLB player and will play 140+ games in a season. He has posted a WAR of 8.4 in his time with the Red Sox thus far.Â
So what is the hold up to extend this guy? Especially since he is open to staying in Boston long term, what is the issue? Well, it seems like the front office is waiting for Verdugo to take the next step and be the MVP player that he was once anticipated to be. He showed in the first month of the 2023 season, as he was reliable in the leadoff spot and came up super clutch in late innings when the Sox needed it the most. Since then he has regressed his average and power, as he has not hit a home run since May 1st.Â
Another hold up for the Red Sox to extend Verdugo may be because of the surplus of left-handed bats. With Rafael Devers, Masataka Yoshida, Triston Casas, and Jarren Duran in the books for the next couple of seasons, it is very apparent the Sox lack the right-handed bats. If the front office is committed to Duran long term, the Red Sox outfield could be all left-handed with a Verdugo extension. With Marcelo Mayer on his way up, the future of the Red Sox could be extremely left-handed.Â
Even with that all being said, Red Sox fans should expect Verdugo to stay put. The big reason why is because the front office likes to justify the moves they make. If they traded Verdugo away, it would make the Mookie Betts trade look even worse from the perspective of a fan. It would also affect the already upset fanbase if they trade another core player like Verdugo. Besides, he may be willing to take a discount since he likes Boston so much.Â
If 2024 is circled on Chaim Bloom’s calendar, it is very hard to see a scenario where Verdugo is traded. If Chaim Bloom and the front office want to have the long-term sustainability model, Verdugo is a must-extend for the years to come.Â
Follow Jason on Twitter @jason_stellakis
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