If the Yankees get this desperate, then they may as well kiss their World Series hopes goodbye.
Yankees Must Avoid Tempting Alex Verdugo Reunion Despite Latest Loss originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Once upon a time, the 2025 New York Yankees held a 7 1/2 game lead in the AL East. Aaron Judge was flirting with .400, and Max Fried appeared on track to compete with Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal for the AL Cy Young.
Yankees fans yearn for those days, especially after Friday’s 12-5 loss to the Phillies at Yankee Stadium. Remember when the Yankees were 42-25 and 4 1/2 up in the AL East? Judge and teammates are now only nine games above .500, and they’re just 21-25 since June 1.
To their credit, the Yankees — who are now 5 1/2 back in the division — are already getting aggressive ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. New York acquired Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon for two pitching prospects on Friday, and the 30-year-old is expected to make his Yankees debut on Saturday afternoon.
Who could be next to join the Yankees’ lineup? For their sake, the Yankees must avoid pursuing old friend Alex Verdugo.
Let’s be clear: there have been no credible rumors suggesting the Yankees reunite with Verdugo, a veteran left fielder who hit .233 with 13 homers, 61 RBIs, and a .647 OPS in over 600 plate appearances last season.
Most recently, Verdugo batted .239 with 10 doubles, 12 RBIs, and a .585 OPS over 213 plate appearances for the Braves. Atlanta released Verdugo earlier this month, and he remained a free agent at publication.
Why should the Yankees avoid signing Alex Verdugo?
On the surface, Verdugo actually could appeal to the Yankees for the same reasons he did two years ago. He’s still a left-handed outfielder and a noted double threat; Verdugo averaged 34 doubles from 2021-24, and his 10 two-baggers in 58 games with the Braves would have put him in range for another 30-double campaign.
The problem: the Yankees have likely seen enough of Verdugo, and they seemingly never seriously considered bringing him back.
McMahon doesn’t solve all of the Yankees’ issues, and it definitely wouldn’t hurt to add another outfielder. However, Verdugo isn’t the answer, and the Yankees knew it after the 2024 World Series.
Do the Yankees still know it? We certainly hope so.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Baseball
