Despite their completion of the most famous transaction in the history of North American sports in 1919, trades between the rival Red Sox and Yankees are exceptionally rare.
There have been just four since 2000 and seven in the last 50 years. During periods of heightened animosity, the rivals can go a decade or more without doing business—as was the case from 1972-86 and 1997-2014.
With this in mind, you can forgive outfielder Alex Verdugo for being a little blindsided when Boston traded him to New York on Dec. 5.
"The general reaction [when I was traded] was, you know, mad. I was hot," Verdugo told reporters Thursday. "I was like, 'Man, they really sent me to the rivals, the Yankees.'"
Alex Verdugo was mad the Red Sox sent him to the rival
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) December 21, 2023
Then he got excited when he recalled how his 2023 in Boston went and when Judge, Stanton, Cole and Rizzo reached out to him
He immediately shaved and works out in his Yankees hat everyday
"I want to win the World Series." pic.twitter.com/Erewaaqz2e
Verdugo has a tempestuous history with the Yankees, including a 2021 incident where a fan struck him with a baseball thrown from the stands at Yankee Stadium. However, after thinking things over following the trade, his attitude began to change.
"Having guys reach out—(Aaron) Judge, (Giancarlo) Stanton, Gerrit (Cole), (Anthony) Rizzo—just these guys all started reaching out and welcoming me to the team. It got me excited. I shaved right away," Verdugo said, referencing the team's facial hair policy.
In seven MLB seasons, Verdugo has hit .281 with 57 home runs and 255 RBIs. However, even though he's played for the Dodgers and Red Sox, baseball's biggest prize has eluded him.
"I want to win the World Series," Verdugo said, "But we gotta take it day by day."
