Breslow says trade of outfielder just about getting better
NASHVILLE — Alex Verdugo’s tenure with the Red Sox came to an end Tuesday evening when he was traded to the Yankees in exchange for righthanded pitchers Richard Fitts,
and Nicholas
Greg Weissert, Judice.
Verdugo, the key piece the Red Sox received in the February 2020 Mookie Betts trade, got off to a hot start at the plate last season, but ended the year hitting just .264/.324/.421
(.745 OPS). Verdugo was still a force in the outfield, finishing second in American League Gold Glove voting among right fielders.
“Alex is a really good player. So it’s not surprising that, you know, multiple teams checked in on him,” Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said Wednesday morning. “And, you know, we felt like this was maybe an opportunity to take advantage of the chance that we had some guys that we thought could kind of take on those atbats and those innings.”
Verdugo’s overall tenure with the Red Sox was solid, as he batted .281/.338/.424 (.761 OPS) with 43 regular-season home runs. But he failed to hustle out a ground ball in
June, resulting in manager Alex Cora benching him. Verdugo was benched again when he showed up late to the clubhouse during a pivotal series against the Blue Jays.
“You can’t manage 26 guys the same way,” said Cora. “You know, I listened to [new Hall of Fame manager] Jim Leyland the other day, like, if you manage everybody the same way, it’s not going to happen. We have a good relationship. But on the business side of it and the game side of it, I think it’s something that we saw an opportunity to get better in an area that was sort of our weakest point.”
Weissert is the only pitcher from the trade who has reached the majors. He pitched 20 innings for the Yankees in 2023, registering a 4.05 ERA. He also had a 2.90 ERA in 40‚ innings last season for Triple A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
“Weissert is a guy who’s got a track record of missing bats,” Breslow said. “He’s had some success in the big leagues, and I feel like there’s still some development and growth in front of him.”
Fitts registered a 3.48 ERA in 152„ innings with 163 strikeouts for Double A Somerset last season. Breslow believes he can be a starter.
“Those guys, as we discussed, are really difficult to come by,” Breslow said. “The combination of a fastball that’s got some unique shape, and unique characteristics, and then a swing-and-miss slider.”
Judice has yet to pitch at the minor league level. He was an eighth-round draft choice by the Yankees out of LouisianaMonroe this year.
RF could be Abreu’s
Wilyer Abreu could become the everyday right fielder with the departure of Verdugo. Abreu made quite the impression when called up at the end of last season, batting .316 with two homers and an .862 OPS in 85 plate appearances.
“I think Abreu opened some eyes last year,” Cora said. “I know it’s a small sample size, but I always say if you dominate the strike zone, we believe you’re going to be a good hitter, and there’s an opportunity for him to keep getting better. [He’s] got a shot to be an everyday outfielder with the Red Sox. We’ll see where it takes us.”
Making Rule 5 moves
The Red Sox acquired righthanded pitcher Justin Slaten from the New York Mets on Wednesday in exchange for minor league lefthander Ryan Ammons and cash considerations.
Slaten was selected by the Mets from the Rangers in Wednesday’s Rule 5 draft.
In 2023, Slaten had a 2.87 ERA to go along with 86 strikeouts in 40 games for Double A Frisco of the Texas League and Round Rock of the Triple A Pacific Coast League. Ammons was a 10th-round pick in the 2023 draft out of Clemson who had yet to appear in a game.
Also on Wednesday, the Red Sox lost two players in the major-league portion of the Rule 5 draft, which allows teams to claim players who are not on a 40-man major-league roster, but also has roster requirements regarding that player.
Lefthander Shane Drohan ,a fifth-round draft choice in
2020, was selected by the White Sox. The 24-year-old compiled a 1.32 ERA in six starts at Double A Portland, but struggled once he reached Triple A Worcester, compiling a 6.47 ERA in 21 games (19 starts).
The Cardinals took righthander Ryan Fernandez, who sat at 96-97 m.p.h. with the WooSox in 2023.
In the minor-league phase, the Red Sox selected catcher Mickey Gasper from the Yankees. Gasper, a Merrimack, N.H., product and four-year player at Bryant, hit .246/.361/ .375 between Double A and Triple A last season.
Seven Boston players were taken: Single-A righthanders Jose Ramirez (White Sox), Railin Perez (Cardinals), and Brock Bell (Reds); Double-A righthander Ryan Miller (Angels); Single-A catcher/infielder Johnfrank Salazar (Cardinals), Triple-A infielder Ryan Fitzgerald (Royals), and Single-A outfielder Alexis Hernandez (Blue Jays).
Wrap from Nashville
Wednesday concluded the Winter Meetings, and Breslow said he’s satisfied with the process this week despite the lack of movement on the free-agency front . . . The outfield is packed with players who have little service time. Ceddanne Rafaela and Abreu each got their first look in the majors in late August, while Jarren Duran and Masataka Yoshida have roughly a year in the big leagues . . . The Sox are in need of a righty bat with power. Both fall just short of a necessity, according to Breslow. “I would certainly say it’s a priority,” he said. “I think balancing out the lineup is really important.”