After a rough tenure with the Atlanta Braves, former Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo is teamless again.
The Braves on July 2 designated Verdugo for assignment, according to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The move will clear a roster spot for the return of Jurickson Profar, who was suspended earlier this season for the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
It took Verdugo months to sign with Atlanta after an underwhelming offseason with few to no contract offers. After Profar's suspension, the Braves signed Verdugo to a minor league deal, and he spent nine games with Triple-A Gwinnett before he was promoted to the majors.
Verdugo got off to a hot start with the Braves, with a .341/.396/.455 slash line, five doubles and six RBI in his first 10 games. He tempered soon enough, however, and posted a .239/.296/.289 and a .585 OPS over 56 games leading up to his eventual DFA.
Braves designate poarizing former Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo for assignment
The Braves are designating OF Alex Verdugo for assignment, per @Ken_Rosenthal pic.twitter.com/df25IU9RxM
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 2, 2025
It took Verdugo so long to find a team after the 2024 season due to his rather disastrous down year with the Yankees. The Red Sox traded him to New York in exchange for Greg Weissert, Richard Fitts and prospect Nicholas Judice, and it didn't take long for Boston to emerge as the winner. Verdugo slashed .233/.291/.356 over 149 games with the Yankees, and not even his defensive improvements (two outs above average, 76th percentile) could make up for his poor offense.
His unfortunate reputation in New York will live on, as he struck out to end the 2024 World Series. Current Red Sox pitcher, Walker Buehler, got the best of him in a 7-6 Game 5 win.
As the trade deadline nears and teams get increasingly desperate for depth, Verdugo may have an easier time signing somewhere else than he did over the winter. His stats on either side of the ball from his tenure with Atlanta don't jump off the page, but Verdugo is a veteran with multiple seasons of playoff experience. If he signs a minor league deal with a team in the postseason race, he could appear in the big leagues again soon.
The Red Sox are definitely out of the question for his services, though. His tenure in Boston didn't end well after a few benchings and disagreements with Alex Cora, and Boston's outfield is already jam-packed.