Former Red Sox Outfielder Reportedly Signs Contract With Padres

Former Red Sox Outfielder Reportedly Signs Contract With Padres originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Former Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo has reportedly signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres.

Padres sign Alex Verdugo to a minor-league deal pic.twitter.com/lYk8tDywZv

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 1, 2026

Verdugo's MLB career spans nine seasons across four teams, beginning with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017. Drafted in the second round in 2014, he debuted as a promising outfielder known for contact hitting and defensive skills.

Over 856 games, he's compiled a .270 batting average, 70 home runs, 328 RBIs, and 23 stolen bases, with an OPS of .732 and 11.6 WAR.

His strongest year came in 2020 with the Red Sox, where he batted .308, hit six homers, and finished 12th in AL MVP voting during the shortened season. Traded to the New York Yankees for 2024, he posted a .233 average with 13 homers in 149 games.

In 2025, Verdugo signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Atlanta Braves late in spring training and started in Triple-A before a call-up in mid-April amid outfield needs. He appeared in 56 games, mostly in left field, but struggled offensively with a .239/.296/.289 slash line, zero home runs, 12 RBIs, and one stolen base across 197 at-bats.

His -0.3 WAR reflected poor production and subpar defense, leading to his designation for assignment in early July and subsequent release. Verdugo remained a free agent through the offseason.

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