Several new faces will be arriving in the Bronx in 2024, including the freshly shaven face of former Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo.
And the captain of the Big Apple team, Aaron Judge, was totally in agreement with the trade that brought with the New York Yankees, saying that he admires the competitive side of his new teammate. He even pushed for it to come to fruition.
I have been preaching for this for years.
This is a somewhat surprising statement considering the rivalry between the two organizations.
It will be interesting to see how Verdugo adapts to his new formation, but already getting the support of the club's biggest star is a very positive point for the understanding in the locker room.
The polarizing 27-year-old was acquired this offseason in a trade that sent pitchers Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice to the Red Sox.
Despite his arrival and those of Juan Soto, Trent Grisham and Marcus Stroman, the Judge would not be surprised if the Bombers did not finish their shopping.
As for where those improvements might come from, Judge added that he assumes it will be on the mound side. And one of the names most strongly linked to the Yankees this winter has been former San Diego Padres ace pitcher Blake Snell.
From what we're hearing among the branches, the Yankees still have serious interest in him and are waiting to see if the asking price will drop on a long-term contract or if he'll agree to sign a short-term pact that could bringing in more than $35 million per year.
If the club can come to terms with him, expectations of a first World Series title since 2009 could return to the forefront for the Yankees.
- What's happening in Oakland?
- Ricky Tiedemann looks good.
