Braves Cut Former Yankees Outfielder

The Atlanta Braves have designated former New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo for assignment, to make room for Jurickson Profar's return to the roster.

Verdugo, 29, was the Los Angeles Dodgers' top prospect in 2019, and was traded to the Boston Red Sox in 2020 as part of a deal that brought Mookie Bets to Los Angeles. Following a 2021 season with the Red Sox that saw them make it to the American League Championship Series, Verdugo's numbers have declined, and he has been faulted for a lack of hustle by leadership. Red Sox manager Alex Cora benched him repeatedly on those grounds, and in 2023, they traded him to the Yankees for $9.2 million.

In his time with the Yankees, Verdugo ran into the same criticisms from fans and commentators, but manager Aaron Boone stood up for him despite his contributions to a losing streak in September 2024.

“He’s OK," Boone said, after a losing game when asked about Verdugo's poor performance. "He’s beat up. [...] when he needs to, he beats out the force play, beats out a double play, gets the infield hit. Sometimes I wish it would look a little better on certain ones [...]. But I don’t have any issue with how hard he’s playing the game.”

Still, the Yankees allowed Verdugo to go into free agency after the 2024 season. The Braves picked him up with one week left before Opening Day this year, and despite a condition in his contract requiring that he start the season in the minors, Verdugo has been filling the hole Profar left. Profar, who was suspended for 80 days following a positive test for performance enhancing drugs, will return to the roster as a starter in left field against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.

This season, Verdugo has slashed .239/.296/.585 with no home runs and 12 RBIs in 197 plate appearances.

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