Ex-Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo reveals Yankees' pursuit began before offseason

The pressure was on the New York Yankees to make some moves to put them back into World Series contention after they went 82-80 in 2023. The Yankees weren't making moves like the Yankees of old, aka "the Evil Empire," but that changed this offseason. They were heavily linked to San Diego Padres outfielder Juan Soto in a trade. But before actually completing that trade, they made a deal with the Boston Red Sox to acquire outfielder Alex Verdugo.

Verdugo fit what the Yankees were looking for -- a left-handed option in the outfield. As it turns out, the Yankees had their eyes on Verdugo, and not just because they were facing off against him over the years.

While speaking with reporters on Thursday, Verdugo revealed that Aaron Judge had been pushing the Yankees to acquire him over the years. The outfielder also said that Anthony Rizzo was recruiting him to New York last season when he was standing on first base!

Alex Verdugo reveals Aaron Judge, Anthony Rizzo were recruiting him to Yankees over the years

“It’s cool to know that some guys have been pushing for me to come over here," said Verdugo, h/t MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. "They like the way I play and the kind of flair that I bring.”

Judge and Rizzo were obviously fans of Verdugo and wanted the Yankees to land him somehow, some way. It didn't happen in the previous couple of years, like Verdugo indicated the length of time that Judge was pushing for him. But after the 2023 season, an agreement was made.

The Yankees were plagued by injuries over the years, but last season, their outfield was decimated. 10 different players manned left field in 2023, while nine played in center field. It got so bad that infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa actually had to start in the outfield. Their playoff odds were undoubtedly affected after Aaron Judge fractured his big toe while running into a Dodgers Stadium wall midseason.

Verdugo, since arriving in Boston after the Mookie Betts game, played in nearly every game for the Red Sox. In four years, Verdugo played in 493 of a possible 546 games. That's an improvement for the Yankees, considering the revolving door in the outfield. In that span, Verdugo recorded a .281 batting average, a .338 on-base percentage, and a .424 slugging percentage while recording 43 home runs, 206 RBI, 280 runs, 529 hits, 320 strikeouts, and 122 walks.

This past season, Verdugo slashed .264.324/.421 while recording 13 home runs, 54 RBI, 81 runs, 144 hits, 93 strikeouts, and 45 walks in 142 games played.

Verdugo is a left-handed contact hitter who is durable and can play outfield, which checks the boxes that the Yankees needed to address. The recruiting by Judge and Rizzo paid off, as he's now set to help the Bronx Bombers make it back to the World Series for the first time since 2009.