In the 2020 off-season, the Dodgers pulled off the greatest heist of the decade as they acquired Mookie Betts from the Boston Red Sox in his prime.
Everyone couldn’t believe why Boston would do such a thing, but luckily for LA, they were on the right side of things. Ultimately it paid off by locking up Mookie for 12 years and capturing a championship his first year in Dodger blue.
In that blockbuster deal, the Dodgers sent Connor Wong, Jeter Downs, and former fan favorite Alex Verdugo.
Verdugo had a ton of promise with the Dodgers organization; he was young, exciting, and came from Mexican roots, making him a fan favorite with the significant Hispanic Dodgers population.
He’s been with Boston for the past three seasons, and one Red Sox reporter wouldn’t count out the possibility of Verdugo being moved this off-season.
A Verdugo trade isn’t a lock, or even overly likely. But considering how some in the organization soured on his potential in 2022 and Bloom’s penchant for creative moves, it definitely can’t be ruled out.
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A Verdugo trade seems to be out of reach, but let’s say they seriously consider it. Would the Dodgers pick up the phone and make an offer?
The outfield for the Dodgers could look bleak a couple of weeks from now, as the only guaranteed returns are Chris Taylor and Mookie Betts.
If Verdugo were to return to LA, he could contribute in a big way both at the plate and in left field for most of the time (considering CT3 is moved to center field).
He’s only 26 years old and had a decent season with Boston. Verdugo only missed ten games and slashed .280/.328/.405 with a .733 OPS. He struggled with power, only hitting 11 home runs in 152 games.
One petty reason why I wouldn’t want Verdugo back is that he discredited the Dodgers’ 2020 World Series in late September. He sounded hurt that he got traded for an MVP, so maybe we shouldn’t take too much into his comment. He still hasn’t gotten over the trade, and I get it. I would also talk down on a team that traded me from beautiful Los Angeles to Boston, so it makes sense.
What do you think, Dodger fans? Would you welcome Verdugo back with open arms if the opportunity presented itself?
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