How MLB Trade Deadline Impacted Alex Verdugo’s Psyche

When the Major League Baseball trade deadline passed Tuesday, so did some stress for Alex Verdugo.

Verdugo’s name was floated in trade rumors over the course of July. The ongoing chatter coincided with a brutal hitting slump for the veteran outfielder, who hit .151 with seven RBIs for the month. Although Verdugo previously acknowledged he tried to keep his emotions out of play leading up to the deadline, the uncertainty and outside noise did get to him a little bit.

“You hear some things and you never know what to believe,” Verdugo told reporters, per MassLive. “Anybody can report something and it could be false, it could be right, you just don’t know. For me, it was a little bit of a weird time. I like Boston. I wanted to stay here. I want to continue playing here. Just to know I’m staying here, it felt like a restart of the season.

“It helps you relax more. You don’t press as much, you don’t try to do as much. For me, I had a slump in the wrong time. Wrong month to have a slump. I had a lot of external things getting into my head. Usually, I’m a lot stronger and don’t let stuff get to me. Once I felt like I was staying here and it was official, you take that deep exhale like, ‘I get to be here at least another year.'”

Verdugo certainly looked more at ease Tuesday night in Seattle, where he hit his first home run since July 8. The two-run shot to center field at T-Mobile Park was a critical knock in the Red Sox’s 6-4 win over the Mariners.

A refreshed Verdugo will try to start a hot streak Wednesday when Boston plays its final West Coast game of the regular season. NESN’s coverage of the finale begins at 3 p.m. ET.