NASHVILLE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The New York Yankees added an outfielder from their fiercest rival on Tuesday, acquiring Alex Verdugo from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for three right-handed pitchers as the MLB Winter Meetings are underway.
Boston got Greg Weissert and minor-leaguers Richard Fitts and Nicholas Judice in the swap.
Verdugo, 27, is arguably better known for how he got to Boston rather than anything he has accomplished on the field. He, catcher Connor Wong and infielder Jeter Downs were acquired in the February 2020 deal that sent superstar Mookie Betts and left-hander David Price to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In four years with the Red Sox, Verdugo hit a composite .281 with a .338 on-base percentage, a .424 slugging percentage, 43 homers and 206 RBIs. He played 142 games in 2023, batting .264/.324/.421 with 13 home runs and 54 RBIs.
Counting the three seasons he spent with the Dodgers, Verdugo has a career .281/.337/.428 batting line with 57 home runs and 255 RBIs in 651 games.
Primarily a corner outfielder, Verdugo also has seen time in center field. He could be a free agent following the upcoming season.
Weissert, 28, made 17 relief appearances for the Yankees this year, netting no decisions and a 4.05 ERA. He broke into the majors with 12 games out of the New York bullpen in 2022, when he finished 3-0 with a 5.56 ERA.
Fitts, 23, spent the 2023 season in Double-A, where he went 11-5 with a 3.48 ERA in 27 starts. He was a sixth-round draft pick in 2021 out of Auburn.
Judice, 22, has yet to make his pro debut after New York selected him in the eighth round of the 2023 draft out of UL-Monroe.
The Red Sox and Yankees have come together for just eight trades since 1969, according to MLB.com.
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