Regarding a Potential Blockbuster Red Sox-Yankees Trade, a Former GM Fuels the Fire

A pair of stars could swap sides of the storied rivalry.

This winter, would the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees pull off a major transaction involving two stars with expiring contracts?

This summer, the two teams seem to be a wonderful fit, and at least one executive thinks that the long-standing rivalry won’t prevent the two parties from reaching a mutually beneficial arrangement.

“There is speculation out there that there may actually be a match between the Red Sox and the Yankees,” former general manager Steve Phillips said on MLB Network’s “Hot Stove” regarding a potential trade involving Gleyber Torres and Alex Verdugo.

“The Red Sox need to do something at second base. It’s been sort of a hole there since Dustin Pedroia (departed). And Alex Verdugo is a guy that they’re potentially looking to move in Boston. A left-handed hitting outfielder is what they are looking for in New York, so you could understand how on paper they might match up a little bit.”

Phillips clarified that he was never concerned with how a deal would benefit the opposition, and it appeared that this rivalry shouldn’t be a major barrier.

Verdugo and Torres have had careers that are very comparable and have both been in the heart of their teams’ respective trade rumors.

In 158 games during the previous season, Torres hit.273 with 55 extra-base hits, including 25 home runs, 68 RBIs, and a.800 OPS (118 OPS+). He has six seasons and a career OPS+ of 115. Torres would provide a much-needed right-handed slugger to the Red Sox lineup while filling the need at second base.

Over the course of 142 games, Verdugo hit.264 with 55 extra-base hits, including 13 home runs, 54 RBIs, and a.745 OPS (100 OPS+). With a lifetime OPS+ of 105 in seven seasons, he would provide the Yankees’ outfield with a valuable left-handed bat.

Many have speculated that Boston would need to make further trades in addition to Verdugo in order to balance the deal, but those reporters may be neglecting the defensive side of things.

Since Verdugo is a considerably better defensive player than Torres, the two players are nearly equal in terms of trade value. Both are only under team control until 2024, with the former being six months older than the latter.

Although a Red Sox-Yankees trade would result in a year-long rivalry between the two teams and continual queries from the media as to “who won the trade,” a deal including both players would provide clarity to their respective offseason plans.

If this trade were to occur, Verdugo would almost certainly walk off the Red Sox in the opening game of the next season. Despite its unusual nature, there is some merit to the deal.