Red Sox Outfielder Becomes Biggest Winner From Alex Verdugo Trade

The Boston Red Sox entered the offseason with plenty of candidates to consider when constructing the outfield for the 2024 season.

Among the position depth are Jarren Duran, Rob Refsnyder, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela -- who could start 2024 in Triple-A -- and Masataka Yoshida.

Boston moved on from its starting right fielder when the team traded Alex Verdugo to the New York Yankees in the first major deal of the offseason on Tuesday.

Who could rise to that starting job in 2024? Bearing external moves, Abreu seems poised to rise to the challenge.

Along with infielder Enmanuel Valdez, Abreu came to Boston in the deal for Christian Vázquez at the 2022 trade deadline. The outfielder made his MLB debut in August and impressed at the plate in a small sample size.

In 28 games, Abreu slashed .316/.388/.474 for a .862 OPS with a pair of home runs. He did strike out 23 times in that span, though Red Sox manager Alex Cora has been extremely complimentary of Abreu's plate approach and believes in his potential. The bat did enough to create intrigue for what the 24-year-old can add to the Red Sox lineup.

Defensively, Abreu has a solid arm and graded out as a capable defender when rising through the minor league system in his scouting profile as a top-30 prospect. Replacing Verdugo, who was a finalist for the American League Gold Glove award in 2023, is no easy task as a defender. If nothing else, Abreu can be serviceable, though right field at Fenway is often one of the more difficult spots to play in the sport.

Abreu's time in the majors has been brief so far, though Boston appears to believe in the outfielder for the time being. The offseason can still bring moves to impact the Opening Day look for the outfield. At this moment, however, Abreu could have himself in the thick of a competition for a starting role in spring training.

With Craig Breslow's first major move as the chief baseball officer of the Red Sox in the books, Boston is off and running with roster construction for the 2024 season.