The MLB offseason has been in full effect this past week sparking some major moves throughout the league. The most notable is the signing of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani to the Los Angeles Dodgers for a 10-year, $700 Million contract, shattering the record for biggest contract in not only baseball, but all of sports history.
Although the Yankees didn’t make a deal nearly as dramatic as this, it’s safe to say that Brian Cashman put in the work as the Yankees GM. He completed two major trades that immediately made the Yankees World Series Contenders.
The first deal comes from a familiar foe within the AL East Division. Arguably the biggest rivalry in sports, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox rarely make trades with each other. However, the eighth ever swap in the Divisional Era (since 1969) between the rivals was completed on December 6, resulting in a solid new player to wear Pinstripes this upcoming season.
Former Red Sox Outfielder Alex Verdugo was officially acquired by the Yankees in exchange for three right-handed pitchers in Greg Weissert, Nicholas Juddice, and Richard Fitts, the latter being the Yankees’ twelfth best prospect.
Verdugo has been in the league for seven years, spending time in the LA Dodgers organization and, of course, with the Boston Red Sox. He is a strong defender in the corner of the outfield and is consistent at the plate.
In his career, he holds a .281 average including one season over .300 in Boston. He has also collected 654 hits in his 651 games and has a career On Base Percentage (OBP) of .337, proving to be one of the most efficient hitters in the league. Verdugo has yet to win a Gold Glove but is always in the running. He fell just short of this honor this past season where he ranked third among all American League right fielders.
“The Yankees and Red Sox have only made four trades with each other in my lifetime, so when I saw they traded us Alex Verdugo I was in shock that they were willing to give up a player with experience in rivalry games who has had a lot of success in Yankees Stadium,” said Aspen Levine, a young Yankee fan from Commack.
Despite this impressive resume and the lengths they went to acquire Verdugo, he may struggle to find a daily spot in the Yankees’ outfield. This is mainly due to the presence of Aaron Judge, but a trade that occurred only a day later also plays a huge role.
The Yankees received outfielders Trent Grisham and Juan Soto for right-handed pitcher (RHP) Michael King, RHP Drew Thorpe, RHP Jhony Brito, RHP Randy Vásquez, and Catcher Kyle Higashioka.
Grisham comes to the Yankees as a solid defensive outfielder. He could use work on the offensive side as he’s coming off a season with 13 home runs and a .198 batting average. Despite this, he boasted a .315 OBP which New York could benefit from.
Now to the main event of the 2023 offseason: 3x All-Star, 4x Silver Slugger, and 2019 World Series Champion Juan Soto is officially a New York Yankee. He pairs up with Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole as one of the best “Big 3s” in baseball.
Soto clearly has some impressive accomplishments, and he has the stats to back them up. He has a .284 career average, including a .351 in the 2020 COVID season with the Nationals. He also has collected 160 home runs, with his season high of 35 coming last year with the Padres. He is a superstar in every category and locks in as one of the best players in the league.
“Soto is going to be a great addition to the team this year. The Yankees have needed another bat and outfielder, and Soto could thrive in the Yankee Stadium,” said Michael Beck, another optimistic Yankee fan from Commack.
It looks like brighter days ahead for the New York Yankees as they made some crucial moves early in the offseason. They may not be done yet, however, as the hope is to add a few more pieces to build a championship roster and earn ring number 28.
