This winter, the Boston Red Sox sent outfielder Alex Verdugo to the New York Yankees. He's made it clear on multiple occasions that he's having a great time.
From barking in the outfield with Aaron Judge and Juan Soto to being forced to shave his beard and limit his chain selection to one, the many pros and cons of Yankee life seem to suit Verdugo, and he appears hell-bent on ensuring the Red Sox know it.
The outfielder recently told Bryan Hoch, the Yankees beat reporter for MLB.com, that the New York clubhouse has been his favorite that he's ever been in.
Along with the Red Sox, Verdugo has also played for some of the better Dodgers teams in recent years, including the one Boston took down in the 2018 World Series. But after spending a few seasons with the last-place Red Sox, Verdugo's look at the American League East from a new height on the leaderboard has to feel great.
Former Red Sox Alex Verdugo shares how much he loves playing for the Yankees
Alex Verdugo has been all smiles since joining the Yankees pic.twitter.com/Ax6wGsKE6g
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) April 22, 2024
If the outfielder was banking on the Red Sox struggling without him in right field, he's got another thing coming. Verdugo's replacement in right field has missed a few games due to a mild concussion, but Tyler O'Neill ruled MLB's home run leaderboard for a stint. He's also brought quality defense to Boston's outfield and been on base in all but one of the 15 games he's played.
Wilyer Abreu has also made some incredible catches in right field and he's been on a tear at the plate lately. His bat has been Boston's savior in O'Neill, Rafael Devers and Triston Casas' absences.
There might be some Verdugo die-hards who miss the outfielder, but overall, the Red Sox's "good vibes" and O'Neill's out-of-nowhere return to his 2021, MVP-caliber form softens the blow of his departure. We just don't need to hear anything about the Yankees until we're playing them, alright?