Yankees are already making Alex Verdugo sacrifice more than just his beard

Who is the New York Yankees' favorite rapper? We actually might not know the answer to that, but we can definitively say 2 Chainz is not in the running after the latest reported development with first-year Yankee outfielder Alex Verdugo.

Verdugo, who joined the Bronx Bombers this offseason in a trade with the rival Boston Red Sox, has offered quite a notable aesthetic since he broke into the majors. Of course, when he joined the Yankees, the trademark chinstrap beard and facial hair were axed. But apparently, the Yankees aren't stopping there.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone has told Verdugo to limit the number of chains that he wears during games to just one, a stark change from the jewelry rack that the outfielder's neck often resembled throughout his time in Boston and early on with New York.

Yankees limiting number of chains Alex Verdugo can wear

Verdugo himself was the one who broke the news of the chain limitations, and frankly, he doesn't sound all too comfortable with the changes instituted by Boone, per Kristie Reiken of The Associated Press.

"It's kind of been hard, man," Verdugo said. "Because usually, I'm used to wearing like three of four."

No word yet on if the removed weight from his neck has improved Verdugo's speed so far in the 2024 season.

Let's be clear, there were oftentimes with the Red Sox where Verdugo's chains were borderline (or blatantly) excessive. Mr. T would've looked at him in right field and wondered how he moved around out there at Fenway Park. So the general premise of a manager asking the outfielder to cut back on that and only wear one is obviously reasonable.

It does, however, come off as less reasonable given that it's the Yankees with their strict facial hair policy that's reminiscent of "no shorts" at a boarding school. The strict appearance requirements in New York have long been talked about as a potential deterrent for some free agents over the years, and now we can add the one-chain rule to that list as well.

Ironically, only wearing one chain might be weighing Verdugo down a bit to start his Yankees tenure. Through the teams' first seven games, the newcomer is slashing just .160/.214/.280 on the year with a home run and three RBI. Is each chain actually worth 30 points on his batting average? Weirder things have happened in sports.

Alas, we may never know the ehtereal qualities of Alex Verdugo's chains and what powers they may possess. You know, because the Yankees aren't going to let him wear them.