Alex Cora Jokingly Ribs Alex Verdugo After Red Sox-Yankees Deal

The Red Sox said goodbye to Alex Verdugo last week, but they will be seeing plenty of the veteran outfielder in 2024.

Boston sent Verdugo to the Bronx in a rare trade between the longtime rivals. Even the 27-year-old himself was surprised to be dealt to the New York Yankees, who are in line to feature an outfield of Verdugo, Aaron Judge and Juan Soto this season.

Alex Cora spoke out about the Verdugo trade in an exclusive interview with NESN’s Tom Caron last week. After Caron pointed out how the Red Sox and the Yankees are set to meet 13 times this season, Boston’s manager couldn’t help but playfully rib Verdugo.

“Hopefully he doesn’t get too many hits, he struggles defensively and we don’t see him running around the bases,” Cora told Caron.

In a separate interview on SiriusXM, Cora explained how he wasn’t concerned about potentially helping a division foe via trade. The Red Sox “saw an opportunity to improve their pitching structure,” and Cora believes the club acquired “three capable guys” in the deal.

New chief baseball officer Craig Breslow echoed those sentiments and also refuted a certain theory about why Boston traded Verdugo. When the dust settles, the trade might prove to be a net positive for both sides.