Dodgers Castoff Outfielder Officially Released by NL Rival

Former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Alex Verdugo was released by the Atlanta Braves after he cleared waivers, an indication his tenure with the National League rival is officially over.

The Braves designated Verdugo for assignment in order to make room on the 40-man roster for Jurickson Profar, who was suspended for 80 games.

Verdugo was off to a hot start in Atlanta slashing .322/.385/.441 in his first 65 plate appearances. However, things took a turn for the 29-year-old.

Since May 6, Verdugo slashed .203/.257/.225 across 148 plate appearances.

Verdugo signed with the Atlanta Braves on a $1.5 million deal in March. The outfielder surprisingly hadn't received many offers in free agency, despite being the starting left fielder for the New York Yankees last season.

In 2024, Verdugo spent the season with the Bronx Bombers where he slashed .233/.291/.356 with 13 home runs and 61 RBIs. The outfielder faced his former team in the World Series, and was the final out in Game 5, handing the Dodgers their first full-season title since 1988.

Verdugo made his Major League debut with the Dodgers in 2017, and was part of the trade package that was sent to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Mookie Betts.

Verdugo's best season with LA was the 2019 campaign, where he hit .294 with 12 home runs, 44 RBIs, and an OPS of .817.

The following season, the Dodgers won the World Series with their newest franchise star Mookie Betts. Verdugo proceeded to make some controversial remarks regarding the Dodgers' 2020 World Series title.

“A 60-game season, it’s still hard to judge to this day,” Verdugo said. “Like yeah, it’s a World Series, right? Yeah, they got a ring. But they didn’t play any games at their home field. They didn’t. There weren’t any fans there. It was 60 games. Anyone could ball out for 60 games. That extra 102 is a big difference. They won it, it’s a true one, for what we call it. But I still call it as I see it, it’s still a 60-gamer.”