The New York Yankees had a strong 2024 season that resulted in a World Series run, but ended in disappointment in Game 5 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
This offseason, they have been productive despite losing Juan Soto to the New York Mets. They’ve signed Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million contract and traded for closer Devin Williams.
They need some help offensively, and there are still plenty of bats available.
They might ultimately lose a piece from their 2024 team. Outfielder Alex Verdugo is a free agent, and Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report predicts that the 28-year-old will ultimately sign with the Miami Marlins.
“The Marlins know they need to make their offense better, but president of baseball operations Peter Bendix doesn’t sound like he wants to go all-in on power. Which is probably just as well. Power is expensive and the Marlins are rebuilding,” Rymer wrote.
“Assuming they can get him on a one-year deal, the Marlins should sign Verdugo and hope he becomes a trade chip. He offers a good bat-to-ball skill and quality defense, and he should be motivated after tanking his value with a 0.8-rWAR season in New York.”
Verdugo showed off a little power, hitting 13 home runs during the regular season. However, he slashed .233/.291/.356 and posted a .647 OPS, making for an underwhelming stint with the Yankees.
Losing the young outfielder shouldn’t hurt the Yankees, as so many other bats are available. Perhaps the Yankees can take a look at Alex Bregman, Christian Walker or Teoscar Hernandez.
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