{"id":24400,"date":"2025-01-09T07:24:39","date_gmt":"2025-01-09T07:24:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=24400"},"modified":"2025-01-09T07:24:39","modified_gmt":"2025-01-09T07:24:39","slug":"report-pirates-and-mets-join-the-hunt-for-free-agent-outfielder-alex-verdugo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=24400","title":{"rendered":"REPORT: Pirates and Mets Join the Hunt for Free Agent Outfielder Alex Verdugo"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The\u00a0New York Mets\u00a0are still looking for upgrades in the outfield. They signed Juan Soto to the richest contract in sports history earlier this winter, but they still are looking for another steady player in a weak outfield room.<\/p>\n<h2>The Mets are interested in Alex Verdugo<\/h2>\n<p>Another former Yankees player is reportedly on their radar.\u00a0MassLive.com\u2019s Chris Cotillo\u00a0reported on Tuesday that the Mets are among the teams looking at free-agent outfielder Alex Verdugo. He added that the Pirates and Blue Jays are also expressing interest along with the Mets.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div class=\"caas-figure-with-pb\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"caas-img caas-lazy has-preview caas-loaded\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/_vi8crJozugVnQi1fZ68DA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTYzOTtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/empire_sports_media_articles_290\/f63430da9625e687f7884e640abc152f\" alt=\"Oct 5, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo (24) catches a popup during the fourth inning hit by Kansas City Royals pitcher Michael Lorenzen (24) during game one of the ALDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images\" data-caas-lazy-loading-init=\"1\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"caption-wrapper caption-aligned-with-image\">\n<div class=\"caption-wrapper caption-aligned-with-image\"><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"caption-collapse\" data-id=\"m-1\"><span class=\"credit\">Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Verdugo, 28, could help the Mets big time defensively, as he is a solid outfielder with the glove and has a strong arm as well. With Soto\u2019s struggles playing the field, bringing in Verdugo could help shore up the defense.<\/p>\n<p>The risk that comes with Verdugo is his bat, as he was one of baseball\u2019s worst-qualified hitters last season with the Yankees. He hit just .233 in 621 plate appearances with 13 home runs and an 83 wRC+. Additionally, his .647 OPS was the 15th-lowest in MLB last season (minimum 450 plate appearances).<\/p>\n<h2>Can Verdugo turn his career around with the Mets?<\/h2>\n<p>There is always the potential for him to turn his career around and resemble the player he was while with the Boston Red Sox. In four seasons with them, he hit .281 with a .761 OPS and hit 124 doubles.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div class=\"caas-figure-with-pb\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"caas-img caas-lazy has-preview caas-loaded\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/LOTb2ZAenEIrZ6ShwBbgJA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTYzOTtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/empire_sports_media_articles_290\/091cee0c3a91d9a1f53d177a1ba068cb\" alt=\"MLB: World Series-Los Angeles Dodgers at New York Yankees, alex verdugo\" data-caas-lazy-loading-init=\"1\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"caption-wrapper caption-aligned-with-image\">\n<div class=\"caption-wrapper caption-aligned-with-image\"><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"caption-collapse\" data-id=\"m-2\"><span class=\"credit\">Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If the Mets sign Verdugo and get that version of him next season, then that is a huge win for them. Luckily for them, he won\u2019t come with an expensive price tag with his current value being tanked, so he serves as a low-risk, high-reward type of signing. Ultimately, the Mets are seeking upgrades in a few different areas, and Verdugo could help fill in a hole currently in their outfield.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The\u00a0New York Mets\u00a0are still looking for upgrades in the outfield. They signed Juan Soto to the richest contract in sports history earlier this winter, but they still&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":24404,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24400","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>REPORT: Pirates and Mets Join the Hunt for Free Agent Outfielder Alex Verdugo - News 365<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=24400\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"REPORT: Pirates and Mets Join the Hunt for Free Agent Outfielder Alex Verdugo - News 365\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The\u00a0New York Mets\u00a0are still looking for upgrades in the outfield. 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