Football
Add news
News

Braves DFA Ex-Red Sox Outfielder After Disastrous First Half

Less than four months after signing Alex Verdugo, the Atlanta Braves are already moving on from him.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported on Wednesday that the Braves have designated the former Boston Red Sox outfielder for assignment. The move will clear a roster spot for Jurickson Profar, who is returning from an 80-game PED suspension.

Atlanta signed Verdugo to a one-year, $1.5 million deal on March 20 following a disappointing 2024 campaign with the New York Yankees. He batted just .233/.291/.356 (81 OPS+) with 13 home runs, 61 RBI and 0.8 WAR in his lone season in the Bronx before reaching free agency.

There wasn’t much of a market for Verdugo, who remained unsigned until a week before Opening Day. He debuted for the Braves on April 18 and got off to a fast start, batting .322/.385/.441 through his first 14 games of the season.

However, he quickly faded at the plate and fell into a deep slump. Over his last 43 games, he hit a paltry .203/.257/.225 with no homers and five RBI, dropping his season batting line to .239/.296/.289.

With no homers, 12 RBI and -0.2 WAR in 56 games this season, the 29-year-old outfielder has continued his downward trend at the plate. His OPS+ has declined every year since 2020, falling from 123 to 65.

Verdugo’s poor play has contributed to Atlanta’s underwhelming season. The Braves enter play on Wednesday fourth in their division at 38-46, 11.5 games behind the first-place Philadelphia Phillies.

Atlanta is hoping that swapping out Verdugo for Profar can give its lineup a boost. Profar was an All-Star for the San Diego Padres in 2024, batting .280/.380/.459 (134 OPS+) with 24 homers, 85 RBI, 10 steals and 3.6 WAR.

The 32-year-old outfielder signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the Braves following his career year, but he played only four games for them this season before being suspended 80 games for using a banned substance.

Comments

Комментарии для сайта Cackle
Загрузка...

More news:

Read on Sportsweek.org:

Other sports

Sponsored