The New York Mets’ outfield has already received a major facelift this offseason, spearheaded by the acquisition of former New York Yankees star Juan Soto with a landmark 15-year, $765 million.
Steve Cohen’s expensive bunch may not be finished with their cross-town shopping: MassLive.com Chris Cotillo reports the Mets may also be interested in Yankees free-agent outfielder Alex Verdugo.
The 28-year-old is coming off arguably his worst season as a pro, producing a measly .22/.291/.356 triple-slash (.657 OPS) with 13 home runs and 61 RBIs in 149 games.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone often benched Verdugo down the stretch in favor of prodigal rookie Jasson Dominguez. However, he regained his starting spot in the playoffs thanks to his strong defense.
This is where Verdugo would provide most of his value: while left field is his favorite spot, he’s started over 100 games in each outfield position.
In 2024, he was a firmly above-average defender, ranking in the 76th percentile among left-fielders in OAA (Outs Above-Average) while slotting in the 96th percentile for arm value.
