The Atlanta Braves have signed outfielder Alex Verdugo of Tucson, Arizona to a contract according to Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors on Thursday. The terms of the contract are for one year and $1.5 million.
Who has Verdugo played for in the past?
Verdugo has played in the Major Leagues for the last eight seasons. He was with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2017 to 2019, the the Boston Red Sox from 2020 to 2023, and this past season for the New York Yankees.
Verdugo in 2024
In 149 games, Verdugo batted .233 with 13 home runs and 61 runs batted in. During 559 at bats and 621 plate appearances, Verdugo scored 74 runs and had 130 hits, 28 doubles, one triple, two stolen bases, 49 walks, 199 total bases, two sacrifice bunts, 10 sacrifice flies, an on base percentage of .291 and a slugging percentage of .356.
Verdugo’s triple came on June 1 in a 7-3 Yankees win over the San Francisco Giants. Verdugo’s two stolen bases also came in Yankees wins. The first was in a 5-3 Yankees win over the Tampa Bay Rays on April 19, and the second was in a 6-4 Yankees win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 29. The game against the Pirates was the Yankees’s final regular season game of the season.
Expected to play in the short term
It is expected that the Braves might use Verdugo immediately as a replacement in the outfield as Ronald Acuna Jr. is still recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament he suffered this past June. However, the next week will be critical for Verdugo as he gets into game shape better while with the Gwinnett Stripers, the Braves top minor league affiliate.
When Acuna Jr. does return, an initial thought was that he might split time with Jurickson Profar, another offseason free agent by the Braves. However, when you analyze their contracts, Profar will probably be the starter and Verdugo will be a fourth outfielder, due to the fact Profar is making $14 million per season over the next three years.
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