On Thursday, the Philadelphia Phillies’ arch rivals, the Atlanta Braves, made a smart acquisition by signing outfielder Alex Verdugo to a one-year, $1.5 million contract for the 2025 season. For someone who could have been an offseason target for the Phillies to address their outfield situation, Verdugo was actually projected in the market by Spotrac to land a four-year deal in the neighborhood of $60 million (about $15 million AAV).
However, the Braves have now gotten some massive value in their so-called “prove it” deal with Verdugo. On top of that, the 28-year-old veteran will provide valuable outfield depth with proven MLB experience for Atlanta as superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. slowly works his way back from injury and aims to be back in the lineup later this spring.
Phillies rival’s latest attempt to add outfield depth with Alex Verdugo comes with baffling wrinkle
However, there appears to be a baffling wrinkle to go with it. After joining the Braves, Verdugo was promptly optioned to their Triple-A affiliate Gwinnett, instead of sticking with the big league camp. So why is that? Shouldn’t Verdugo get all the opportunity to prove himself with the Braves given his eight-year track record in the majors?
Well, it’s plain and simple. Atlanta is likely just focusing on building up Verdugo and getting him up to speed before adding him to their MLB roster. After all, he has missed all of spring training as a result of his nerve-wracking wait for a contract in free agency.
Verdugo has the ability to hit for average, as shown by his .272 career mark, along with providing decent offensive production, averaging close to 83 runs scored, 36 doubles, 14 home runs and 64 RBI over a 162-game schedule. As a result, he could potentially provide more attractive value to the team than someone such as Jarred Kelenic, Eli White and perhaps even Bryan De La Cruz in the long run.
However, Verdugo is coming off a down year in 2024 in which he hit just .233 with a .647 OPS, both career lows, not including his debut 2017 season. But even so, he still managed to remain productive from an offensive standpoint by scoring 74 runs, hitting 13 homers and driving in 61 runs in 149 games played. That was what likely made teams hesitant to sign the veteran to a longer-term deal this offseason, stalling his market.
As for the Phillies, the presence of Verdugo in the NL East should give them just a little more to think about given his success against them in the past. For his career, he has hit a solid .272 with an .832 OPS against Philadelphia, including a whopping 23 runs scored, five doubles, three home runs, eight RBI and two stolen bases in just 26 games of action. Even last season, Verdugo caused havoc on the basepaths against the Phillies when he batted .300 with four walks and five runs scored in just three games. The signing gives Philly yet another nemesis they’ll need to face this season in their quest to return to postseason glory.
