BRONX, NY — Alex Verdugo realizes that his spot on the New York Yankees is anything but set next season as he faces a winter of unrestricted free agency. Still, he is keen on proving to the organization and its fans that he could be more of a well-rounded player rather than a defensive extraordinaire.
“As far as teammates and being with the guys, it’s been my favorite team I’ve ever played for,” Verdugo said prior to Game 5 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday. “I really do enjoy it. I think there would be some stuff that, you know, maybe one day we can come back; if it’s not next year, maybe it’s another year.
“But I would like to come back and just show the type of player that I really am. I think we’ve seen it defensively, seen it at times offensively, but I’m usually a lot more consistent.”
Verdugo was acquired from the Boston Red Sox to hold down the left-field spot until Jasson Dominguez was ready to make the full-time jump to the majors. The 28-year-old lived up to the defensive expectations, ranking in the 77th percentile in outs above average, the 96th percentile in arm value, and the 94th value in arm strength.
The offense, however, was an issue. He batted a career-worst .233 with a .647 OPS, 13 home runs, and 61 RBI in 149 games and struggled so mightily down the stretch of the regular season, that he was benched
“I know it wasn’t my best personal year in offense,” Verdugo began. “We kind of grinded through some things… I’d say it’s exciting [to hit free agency], but to have one of my career-worst years offensively going into it is a bummer…
“It will be a goal in the offseason to work harder and always try to get better.”
Even during the World Series as his Yankees attempted to come back from a 3-0 deficit, it is something that remains in the back of his mind.
“Yeah, we all have [thought about our future], right? We all kind of do,” Verdugo said. “Just got to play it how it is. At the end of the day, I’m focused on winning a World Series, trying to win today and then win the next. Whatever happens, happens.”
