NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In his first major transaction as chief baseball officer of the Red Sox, Craig Breslow cleaned up one of the messes Chaim Bloom left behind.
Cora, still seething after the game, called it one of his worst days as a member of the Sox. Verdugo tried to dodge questions before falsely denying being late. Then he complained about being picked on before the final game of the season.
With the 27-year-old outfielder a year away from free agency, there was little chance the Red Sox would risk giving him a contract extension.
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There were two choices: trade him now or wait until during the season. They decided to move quickly and sent Verdugo to New York for three pitching prospects.
In the short term, the Sox saved the estimated $9.2 million Verdugo was due in arbitration and can repurpose that money. In the long term, the Sox now have better pitching depth.
But this was more about the Red Sox deciding they had to stand for something.
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Verdugo, a talented player, was warned about being late and crossed the line one too many times. Let that slide and what is the message being sent to Triston Casas, Jarren Duran, and other young players the Sox see as part of their future?
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On Tuesday, hours before the trade was finalized, Cora and Breslow spoke about the need to instill a better atmosphere around the team, something they want to start right away in spring training.
“Competition and accountability and pushing each other brings out the best in all of us,” Breslow said. “I would say that’s not exclusive to what happens on the field.”
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Verdugo’s name didn’t come up at the time. But that he was traded hours later doesn’t seem like a coincidence.
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There are risks here. Verdugo could well get his act together with the Yankees, a clubhouse where Aaron Judge sets the tone.
Excellent first move, sets the new tone for the clubhouse with a lot of young talent coming up and takes a few scratchers on pitching.
Great Yankee to hate now!
Edit: Brigade away, but you’re only downvoting Cora and Breslow.
Them sending Verdugo to the Yankees says all you need to know what they thought of him, that he’ll either do nothing or actively bring their clubhouse down too. Cora even said explicitly he doesn’t care if this trade benefits them or any other team—they need to focus on improving the Red Sox. That’s how badly he wanted Verdugo gone.
Cora said it himself after benching Verdugo:
“I’m just taking care of the 26 guys and he’s not going to play […] Today, we took a step back as a team.”
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From [Globe.com](http://globe.com)
By Peter Abraham
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In his first major transaction as chief baseball officer of the Red Sox, Craig Breslow cleaned up one of the messes Chaim Bloom left behind.
​
Consider [Tuesday night’s trade of Alex Verdugo to the Yankees](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/12/05/sports/alex-verdugo-red-sox/?p1=Article_Inline_Text_Link) as the baseball equivalent of opening a window and letting fresh air into the room.
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Verdugo was a goner on Aug. 5 when he arrived late for a game at Fenway Park and [was benched by manager Alex Cora.](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/08/05/sports/curious-case-alex-verdugo-his-recent-slump-saturdays-surprise-scratch/?p1=Article_Inline_Text_Link)
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Cora, still seething after the game, called it one of his worst days as a member of the Sox. Verdugo tried to dodge questions before falsely denying being late. Then he complained about being picked on before the final game of the season.
With the 27-year-old outfielder a year away from free agency, there was little chance the Red Sox would risk giving him a contract extension.
​
There were two choices: trade him now or wait until during the season. They decided to move quickly and sent Verdugo to New York for three pitching prospects.
In the short term, the Sox saved the estimated $9.2 million Verdugo was due in arbitration and can repurpose that money. In the long term, the Sox now have better pitching depth.
But this was more about the Red Sox deciding they had to stand for something.
​
Verdugo, a talented player, was warned about being late and crossed the line one too many times. Let that slide and what is the message being sent to Triston Casas, Jarren Duran, and other young players the Sox see as part of their future?
​
On Tuesday, hours before the trade was finalized, Cora and Breslow spoke about the need to instill a better atmosphere around the team, something they want to start right away in spring training.
“Competition and accountability and pushing each other brings out the best in all of us,” Breslow said. “I would say that’s not exclusive to what happens on the field.”
​
Verdugo’s name didn’t come up at the time. But that he was traded hours later doesn’t seem like a coincidence.
​
There are risks here. Verdugo could well get his act together with the Yankees, a clubhouse where Aaron Judge sets the tone.
Excellent first move, sets the new tone for the clubhouse with a lot of young talent coming up and takes a few scratchers on pitching.
Great Yankee to hate now!
Edit: Brigade away, but you’re only downvoting Cora and Breslow.
Them sending Verdugo to the Yankees says all you need to know what they thought of him, that he’ll either do nothing or actively bring their clubhouse down too. Cora even said explicitly he doesn’t care if this trade benefits them or any other team—they need to focus on improving the Red Sox. That’s how badly he wanted Verdugo gone.
Cora said it himself after benching Verdugo:
“I’m just taking care of the 26 guys and he’s not going to play […] Today, we took a step back as a team.”