Padres sign Alex Verdugo

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1:01Baseball is back, and the first pitch is on Netflix. The New York Yankees, led by seven-time all-star Aaron Judge, head to the San Francisco Bay to take on Raphael Devers San Francisco Giants. This season kicks off with one exclusive opening night game. Watch MLB opening night, the New York Yankees versus the San Francisco Giants live on Netflix. Tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern, 5 p.m. Pacific. Protein is now at Starbucks, and it's never tasted so good. You can add protein, cold foam to your favorite drink, or try one of our new protein lattes or matcha. Try it today at Starbucks. Alright, the Padres latest edition, Alex Verdugo, on a minor league contract, and this was something that was interesting from Kevin A.C. in his article, he will report to minor league camp. That's what his sources said on Sunday. You think of Alex Verdugo, and this is a guy, obviously, that Padres fans know, former

2:01Dodger, like for the Red Sox as well, it's been multiple stops. But this is someone that was one of the top prospects in the game. This was someone that was obviously included in one of the worst deals, and if not the worst one, there's paper, but one of the worst deals in franchise history, but the Red Sox where they went and acquired Verdugo, he was the centerpiece of that Mookie Bet's trade, and it just didn't pan out the way that they would really want there. Don't mistake Alex Verdugo for Jose Verdugo, if you go on the Padres transactions page, I looked at their transactions for the month of March, and Jose Verdugo is listed, who has been assigned to the Padres, but that's not Alex Verdugo. I assume that that will become more official, according officially to the Padres, if it

3:04hasn't been officially released by the team, but yeah, I mean, traded to the Red Sox, spent parts of four seasons there, went to the Yankees in 2024, went to the Braves last year, and he only lasted 56 games. He doesn't walk very much, less than 7% of the time. His average 239 on base 296, weighted runs created plus 66, anyone that's wondering, that doesn't know about that, the league average for that stat is 100, so I think that just goes to show that helps illustrate how bad Verdugo has been offensively. And I think that's his main threat, at least, you know, I'm not watching every Alex

4:04Verdugo game, but to me, it sure seems like that's what he's there for, would be the offense. And even if it wasn't for the offense, if you're the Padres, would you rather have Verdugo or would you rather have Bryce Johnson, if you're doing it for defense, if you're doing it for speed, a guy that can play all three outfield positions, and you probably don't have to worry about him, you're going on Bryce Johnson in that situation. So this, while, you know, years ago, it would have been like, oh, Alex Verdugo, now just based off of, you know, it's a minor league deal, didn't play a ton, you know, if you go look at his amount of games played in the last four seasons, we can go back five actually to 2021, whatever it's the Red Sox, or he was in there in 2020, but first full season with the Red Sox, 146 games, next year, 152 games in 2023, 142 games, 2024, his one year

5:06with the Yankees, 149 games, so that's 140 plus games there in all those seasons, and then last year, 56, you know, triple the played appearances in those years compared to 2025. So the potters are not getting Alex Verdugo at, you know, the highest price, which obviously is why they're getting Alex Verdugo, I mean, let's be honest, right? But there's work to be done, and so is this going to be a situation where, you know, I think of Jerkson Profar, he signed with the potteries out of minor league deal, right? So far, potteries, it was a minor league deal, and then he came back on a one year, right? One year, $1 million deals, all right? 2024, yeah. One year, $1 million deal, $1.5 million in incentives, 2023, end of 2023 after the Rockies spell.

6:09That's when he signed the minor league deal. Verdugo, I could totally see him being the big leagues at some point, because injuries happen, it's not like that. T says this long history of playing all the time, and other injuries can happen as well. So he could come up, but Bryce Johnson, like Verdugo is not making the big league roster, you know, Kevin writing in his article that this is how he starts at the potteries years long flirtation with Alex Verdugo has finally resulted in his joining the organization. He has a ways to go to join the major league team, he's agreed to a minor league contract and will report to minor league camp, so I think he's a minor league deal and then go on to the major league side, minor league camp. So you know, Tatees has gone for the WBC, there are guys that are gone, will he get at bats in cactusly games, maybe, probably, you know, those guys play all the time later

7:10in cactusly games, so maybe we'll see some of that from Verdugo. But Bryce Johnson is the fourth outfielder. You've got Gavin Sheets who can play the outfield, there are different guys, Castellanos could, there are guys that are on the roster that obviously, with their bat, you'd rather have them, and those would just be options in front of Alex for you to go at the moment, right, if we're just being honest about the situation. Youngmoon Song, they're going to try to play him, I think, a little bit in left field. And the horse played a little bit of the outfield before. And then if you just go on the minor league side, let's say they do bring up somebody from the minor leagues, who are you going with, is Verdugo the first option, slam dunk first option? No. Tierser and Ellis is still in the organization.

8:12I know that they de-affayed him, but he came right back. Nick Schnell has gotten some time in left field, Nick Solax in the organization. We'll see where these guys, it's the land, minor league-wise. But if Verdugo is going to have to, he's going to have to hit. And I know it's El Paso, but he's going to have to hit, at least hit down there for the Padres to give him that opportunity, I think, at the big league level. So we'll see. Kevin and his article, he said, the Padres spoke with Alex Verdugo after the 2024 season before he went signed with the Braves, had talks regarding possibly trading for Verdugo in previous seasons. From 2019 to 2023, Verdugo ranked 11th in the major leagues, with a 292 average against right handed pitchers, eight 12 OPS against righties was 47th in Major League Baseball over that span. Over the past two seasons, he hit 241 with the 655 OPS and 611 played appearances against

9:19righties. So you go look at that comparison there, and it's like, all right, how can Verdugo get back to being an impactful, positively player at the plate against right handed pitchers? Because there are definitely options that the Padres have had, or definitely options in the organization of righties that can be like the guy that goes in against left handed pitchers. This could be an option where lefty bat goes in against right handed pitchers. Obviously, there's usually more right handed pitching than left handed pitching. So that's definitely how Verdugo could get that time there at the big league level, but he's going to have to hit in spring training, he's going to have to hit in ice sumo to biopasso. It is March 2nd, so it's not like he's been at camp this entire time, and again, you think of Alex Verdugo, you don't think of minor league deal, but because it's a minor

10:22league deal, and he's going over to the minor league side, I think that we should take that clue and be like, don't have these expectations that, oh, it's Alex Verdugo, the name, and oh, what an impactful signing. Could it help the Padres at some point? Yeah, totally good. He's obviously done it before at the big league level, but I don't, where Red Sox fans, if there are any Red Sox fans watching this, I don't think they were the highest on Alex Verdugo. I don't think they were the biggest fan of Alex Verdugo. I don't think it was, was it the Yankees that weren't the biggest fan of Verdugo, or was it, no, I think it was Cor. I think it was Alex Cor, and Alex Verdugo, I don't think that they got along very well. Verdugo, okay, I'm looking at articles right now, Verdugo in 2023 calls out Red Sox Manager Alex Cor.

11:24Verdugo wants to see some fires, some fight for the guys from his manager. I just remember, there's like Jared Carbis obviously, he's a big personality and baseball, and he's a Red Sox fan. I remember him talking about Verdugo, and like, I don't think he was the biggest fan of Verdugo. Alex Cor, didn't hold back post game comments following the second incident in June. Lack of hustle on the bases from Verdugo. Cor told reporters that day was one of his worst in the Red Sox organization. Oh, I remember, now I remember this. This is Reijog and Rememory. Verdugo, when he first signed, he was treated, I think, to the Yankees.

12:28Verdugo said, I'm very excited to work with Aaron Boone. I've seen the way he has his players' backs, the one that really sticks out to me. These guys are savages. He's yelling at the Empire. That's something I want to see out of my manager, man. I want to see some fires, some fight for the guys, instead of the Aaron people out have their backs. So, obviously, that's a shot at Cor. I look at Alex Cor is one of the better managers in baseball. You could say that same thing about Aaron Boone, although I think he's been unfairly criticized, but I think also that happens when you are the Yankees manager, and you are given the talent that he has had for pretty much every year that he's been there. Of course, the one that does have the 2018 championship. So, yeah, that's something that I wanted to note, because when you have, I don't think

13:29Alex Cor goes out of his way to be airing out players. So, I think most managers, and I think Craig Stammam would be this guy, he wants to see you give effort. He wants to see you try. And if it looks like you're not trying out there when you should be, then they're going to get irritated. Now, this was an article from 2023. It's 2026. You know, things totally can change, and Verdugo could come in and be a great team player and a guy that hustles all the time. But Verdugo's relationship with Alex Cor reportedly was strained, and Verdugo was taking shots at Cor. So that'll be interesting. Like Cor is a former big leagueer. Now, Aaron Boone was as well. Craig Stammam, former big leagueer.

14:30So it's not like Verdugo's going to be in the big leagues. If he's going to be in the big leagues with the team at some point, the hustle thing is going to be something that we're going to be looking for. I think at least some fans will be looking for that have the awareness of what happened in his previous stops. But just overall, it's another one of those, like, what if, right, that's the theme of this off-season slash spring training additions, whether it's hermard, Marquez, Marker Gonzalez, Griffin Canning, Walker Bueller, guys like that, and then obviously on the offensive side, Ty France, one of those, right, why not? When it's a minor league deal, even if it's a major league deal, but it's for, you know, Castihanus, for example, like the Phillies are taken on pretty much all the salary. It's why not. And if it doesn't work out, then you can, you know, ship them off, not ship them off, but, you know, just send them on his way out of the organization, and that's that.

15:34So it's something that I'm willing to take a chance on, obviously. I think the Padres and their financial situation right now without the new ownership group, I think that you have to be willing to just take it on and see what happens because the Padres are going with the strategy of, let's sign five, six guys that are cheap. There are names, fans that follow major league baseball know these players, their names, but they're not coming off the biggest seasons, things have happened in the past. Their value isn't super high right now, but they've done it before. So let's go for five, six different guys, increase our odds. Instead of sending one guy to $10 billion, let's sign or, you know, five, whatever, let's sign five guys to cheat deals, and that increases our odds of one of those, two of those working out. So we'll see what happens. But yeah, give me your thoughts in the comments. I think right now the pecking order outfield wise, obviously it's Merrill Tatsis, not in

16:41that order, but those are the big league, the stars, right? You've got Romano, Bryce Johnson, sheets, I'm still including, you know, D.H. for space, but he can play some outfield. And then, you know, in the minor league, you got Bryce Johnson, then you've got Tearshor and Ellis, and then I think that's where the competition starts after that. I'm not, I'm not just going to sit here and put Alex Ferdugo ahead of someone that's been in the Padres organization, and you know, the Padres, we're good having him come back. I think they like Tearshor, so I'm not going to give Ferdugo that, you know, he's going to have to play better than Tearshor before that happens. All right, give me your thoughts in the comments. Alex Ferdugo, minor league deal. I know it's the name, but I don't think we should get distracted by the name. I think we got to see how this guy performs. Not just in Cactus League play, when it gets those chances, because he's probably going

17:44in against, you know, later in games and not starting a bunch of these games. So he'll be going in and not facing the best pitching. So it could be a little bit tough to evaluate, and it's Cactus League, it's Arizona. And that's already, you know, throws a little wrench into things and makes it a little bit harder to judge, right? So let me know your thoughts on this edition again. Why not? We'll see what happens. Shout out to the great partners of the show, Gagley and Bruce, famous chief stakes and garlic fries. Their main location is on Friars Road, just down the road from Snapdragon Stadium. They're also section 124 at Petco Park. So during the Padres season, we got opening day coming up at the end of this month. Yes, this month, we are in the month of March. That is great to see. Check them out. And Friars Road is their main location, best chief stakes in San Diego. Breaking T, they have Padres and Aztecs, shirts and sweatshirts, click the link in the description for them. They released into Castellanos, sure, pretty recently.

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