Red Sox trade OF Alex Verdugo to rival Yankees

Dec. 6 (UPI) -- The Boston Red Sox agreed to trade outfielder Alex Verdugo to the rival New York Yankees in exchange for three players, the teams announced.

The Red Sox and Yankees announced the swap Tuesday night. They acquired right-handed pitcher Greg Weissert and minor league right-handed pitchers Richard Fitts and Nicholas Judice in the swap.

"For the passion, for the electricity, for all the memories," the Red Sox wrote on their social media accounts. "Thank you, Dugie."

Verdugo, 27, hit .264 with 13 home runs with 54 RBIs in 142 games last season for the Red Sox. He hit .281 with 43 homers in 493 games over four seasons with the American League East franchise.

Verdugo, who joined the Red Sox in a 2020 trade from the Los Angeles Dodgers, hit a career-high .308 in his first season with the franchise. The Dodgers acquired former Red Sox stars Mookie Betts and David Price as part of that five-player trade.

Verdugo made his debut in 2017 for the Dodgers. He hit .282 with 14 homers over his first three seasons. He owns a career batting average of .281. Verdugo hit 57 homers and totaled 20 stolen bases over his first 651 career games.

He is eligible for arbitration in 2024. He can become a free agent in 2025.

Weissert, 28, posted a 4.05 ERA in 17 games last season for the Yankees. He logged a 5.56 ERA with a 3-0 record in 12 games in 2022. He joined the Yankees as an 18th-round pick in the 2016 MLB Draft.

Fitts, 23, was a sixth-round pick by the Yankees in the 2021 MLB Draft. The 2023 Eastern League Pitcher of the Year went 18-13 with a 3.57 ERA in 49 appearances in two minor league seasons. He was the Yankees No. 12 prospect and is now the No. 10 player in the Red Sox system, according to MLB Pipeline.

Judice, 22, was an eighth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. He went 8-5 with a 4.09 ERA in 59 games during his collegiate career at Louisiana-Monroe. He went 1-1 with a 4.55 ERA in three seasons of collegiate summer league play.

MLB pitchers and catchers are set to report in February to respective spring training sites in Florida and Arizona.