Rivals Yankees, Red Sox Agree To Trade: Report

The arch rival New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have reportedly agreed to a trade centered around outfielder Alex Verdugo during the ongoing Winter Meetings in Nashville, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Tuesday (December 5) night..

The Red Sox sent Verdugo, 27, to the Yankees in exchange for right-handed pitchers Richard Fitts, Greg Weisser and Nicholas Judice. The outfielder spent the past four seasons in Boston, having initially joined the franchise in the blockbuster trade that sent former AL MVP Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Verdugo, who is set to make an estimated $9 million in his final season of arbitration in 2024, hit for a .264 average with 13 home runs and 54 RBIs during 142 appearances in 2023. The veteran outfielder was placed on the trade market with his looming free agency after the 2024 season, however, the agreement between the AL East Division rivals is surprising, with the move marking just the seventh trade between the Red Sox and Yankees in 50 years, according to Passan.

"The Yankees and Red Sox make only their seventh trade in the last half-century, with Alex Verdugo going to New York and right-handed pitching prospects Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice headed to the Red Sox," Passan wrote on his X account.