There are several sources talking about this story, but you can check out one of them HERE. As several have cited, teams were concerned with Verdugo's off field issues including the Yankees. Over the winter we wrote a few pieces, shocked that he didn't have more interest. Sure, he struggled especially in the second half of the season but he was well liked in the clubhouse and was a great defender. Anthony Volpe described him as a "ride or die" and Giancarlo Stanton raved about him and called him an "incredible dude." Aaron Judge also sang his praises. He fit in well with the team....but apparently didn't impress Yankee brass enough to bring him back.
Even Aaron Boone at least pretended to be shocked by it when he gave words of support for Verdugo, read more HERE. I loved his glove for sure, even though his bat frustrated me. Considering what the Braves signed him for, it was a no-brainer financial commitment. "The Braves got a really good player for not a lot of money," Boone said and I can't say he's entirely wrong for once.
But apparently, enough teams were concerned enough to not pay $1.5 million even on a minor league deal. Verdugo is not a big leaguer now, and maybe this will be a wake-up call to help get him back to show. There are a lot of rumors out there, and the only ones I like to talk about are free agent ones so this one doesn't excite me enough to go into details on the why's.
It does make me think about the bigger picture though. The three big name teams all walked away from him. In his minor league days, the Dodgers walked away from him, then Alex Cora had a strained relationship with him in 2023 after Verdugo's tardiness on game days. He was benched and eventually led the Red Sox to trade him to the Yankees before the 2024 season and now he's got a minor league gig. Three of the top organizations in baseball decided to move on to other players. The Yankees could've easily brought Verdugo back after Juan Soto split... but they didn't.
Which makes me wonder if there was also more to the story about Verdugo and his chains. The Yankees told him to cut it down from several to one. It felt like Boone half-jokingly told that story last season, but it doesn't paint a good picture now. I've seen people online jump to their own conclusions that Verdugo was more interested in his jewelry than playing baseball, which made the Yankees walk away after he didn't meet offensive expectations.
So many rumors out there with not a lot of facts (as usual) which leads everyone to jump to their own conclusions. Here's a real fact though, Verdugo has another chance with another top organization and honestly, I hope he makes the most of it. The Yankees are a disaster right now....and his own teammates wanted him back. Apparently, that wasn't worth enough to give him what the Braves did....which is strange.
Good luck in Atlanta, Verdugo.
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