Breslow: Teams calling Red Sox about acquiring Alex Verdugo
BOSTON -- Just a few weeks into his tenure running baseball operations in Boston, Craig Breslow is nearing the moment to make some big decisions. One of his first decisions could involve the centerpiece of the trade made by his predecessor in Boston.
Speaking to reporters at the GM meetings this week in Arizona, Breslow said that the Red Sox have received calls about right fielder Alex Verdugo.
"We have had some conversations with him," Breslow said, per The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey. "It feels like he's committed to performing the best he possibly can. Obviously, he's a guy other teams have reached out on, just given the situation. I don't think we're in a position to commit to anything. We have to look at every opportunity, every interaction with another club or an agent as a chance to make our team better. Where that lands, we'll see."
The 27-year-old Verdugo, who came to the Red Sox in the Mookie Betts trade, has one year of arbitration left before hitting free agency for 2025. He made $6.3 million last season, and he's due for a sizeable pay bump of a few million dollars. Though his batting average dipped (from .280 to .264) from 2022 to 2023, he raised his OPS to .745 thanks to a slight uptick in power numbers after he hit four more triples and two more homers in 2023 despite playing in 10 fewer games than the year before. He also played strong defense in right field, earning a spot as a Gold Glove finalist. (The award went to Adolis Garcia.)
Verdugo also ran into some issues with manager Alex Cora, who notably benched Verdugo in August after he arrived late at the ballpark for a game the Red Sox lost 6-5.
Whether it's for Verdugo or anyone else, Breslow spoke about his mindset in approaching trades.
"It is a risk. They don't all work out. If you wait for the perfect trade you will likely never transact," he said, per McCaffrey. "I think these jobs require decisiveness and boldness and conviction, and also the humility that you're not going to win every one."
