Oct 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo (24) celebrates with first base coach Travis Chapman (75) after hitting a RBI single during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game five of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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Zero MLB Offers for Alex Verdugo as Free Agency Period Drags On

Alex Verdugo didn't have the best 2024 season, but this is quite surprising!

Divided by Aaron Judge in center field, Juan Soto in right, and Alex Verdugo in left, all three were key pieces of a World Series roster. Yet, their free agency journeys could not be more different.

ALSO READ: Money wasn’t everything in Juan Soto’s bold Mets decision

Soto secured a record-breaking $765 million contract with the New York Mets. Judge, already locked into his Yankees deal, remains the face of the franchise. And Verdugo? He hasn’t even received a single offer.

While the MLB season is officially underway, the offseason still lingers for a few free agents. Among them, Verdugo stands out as a surprising name still on the market. Just months ago, he was the Yankees’ everyday left fielder, contributing five RBI and a home run in the World Series. Despite that, teams have largely looked the other way.

The lack of interest is puzzling. Several Yankees players, including Judge, Anthony Volpe, Marcus Stroman, and Trent Grisham, reportedly spoke highly of Verdugo as a teammate. He’s also been linked to teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Angels, and Houston Astros. Yet, no concrete offers have materialized.

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Verdugo’s market may have been hurt by his struggles at the plate last season. His 83 OPS+ in 2024 marked the first time he dipped below league average since 2018, and his OPS plummeted nearly 100 points from 2023 to 2024 (.745 to .647). However, there are still reasons to believe he can contribute.

First, he’s just 28 and theoretically in his prime. A bounce-back season is entirely possible. Second, his defense remains a major asset. As a corner outfielder, he ranked in the 77th percentile for range and was among the top 10 percent in both arm value and arm strength, per Baseball Savant. Third, he’s been remarkably durable, playing at least 140 games in each full season since 2019. With teams constantly in need of reliable outfield depth, it’s hard to imagine Verdugo remaining unsigned much longer.

Free Agency

Yankees

Mohsin Baldiwala

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Mohsin Baldiwala is a Master’s student in Journalism and freelance content producer who got hooked on baseball through Seinfeld’s hapless George Costanza. The same reason why he’s a Yankees fan. He writes about sports because he believes it can offer a brief escape from the world’s chaos. Even if that means enduring the heartbreak of the 2024 World Series.