NASHVILLE — Alex Verdugo’s days with the Red Sox are done. The talented and at times controversial outfielder was dealt to the New York Yankees late Tuesday night, clearing Boston’s logjam at the position and opening a spot for someone new to step in.
Though that may still wind up being an outside acquisition, Alex Cora and Craig Breslow each indicated they believe the answer could already be on the roster.
“Obviously we lose a good player, a solid player, but we improve in another area and it opens a window for the guys to step up and be part of this,” Cora said.
The guys Cora is referring to are rookies Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela, who made a strong impression during their late-season call-up and are now in line to compete for a starting job. Breslow said between those two and Jarren Duran the Red Sox have an incredibly dynamic and athletic outfield, and they’re comfortable spreading out Verdugo’s at bats across that group.
“We saw really encouraging signs out of that group and the opportunity to give more at bats to guys like Rafaela and Abreu is something that’s going to suit us really well,” Breslow said. “As we think about the evolution of the game and the ability to be really dynamic and athletic, these guys really embody those characteristics so we’re really excited about that.”
Abreu in particular could be looking at a huge opportunity. The 24-year-old from Venezuela is highly regarded for both his strike zone discipline and his throwing arm, and in limited MLB action he batted .316 with two home runs, 14 RBI and an .862 OPS in 28 games.
As long as he can stay healthy, Cora believes he’s capable of being Boston’s everyday right fielder.
“I think Abreu last year opened some eyes,” Cora said. “I know it’s a small sample size but I always said if you dominate the strike zone we believe you’re going to be a good hitter and this is an opportunity for him to keep getting better, you’ve got a shot to be an every day outfielder with the Red Sox and we’ll see where it takes us.”
Though Rafaela has more work to do on his offensive approach, Cora also heaped praise on the 23-year-old’s defensive talents, suggesting he could rank among the game’s best at center field.
“From my end he can impact the center field position like the Kiermaiers of the world. He’s very athletic, he has a good arm, good instincts,” Cora said, referring to four-time Gold Glove winner Kevin Kiermaier. “Our numbers put him up there with the elite ones defensively. I believe for now his future is in center field, I think he’s going to be a game changer out there.”
Whoever winds up manning the outfield for Boston, they’ll get a chance to catch up with Verdugo on a regular basis next season. The newly minted New York Yankee could play up to 13 games against his former team, and while in-division trades aren’t common and deals between the Red Sox and Yankees extremely rare, Cora and Breslow each said they were only concerned about making the team better.
And as for Verdugo, Breslow said his discipline issues were not a factor in the decision to trade him, and Cora said the two had a chance to catch up once the deal was finalized.
“Hopefully Alex learned from the experience, I learned a lot from coaching him, and I wish him nothing but the best,” Cora said. “I had a conversation with him yesterday, he was very polite, surprised that it was to New York, but he wished us the best and we’ll see him a lot this season.”