Could Former Yankee Verdugo Have Possibly Misplayed Free Agent Market Any Worse?

Former New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo reportedly had a huge offer on the table, but turned it down.

Oct 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo (24) celebrates with first base coach Travis Chapman (75) after hitting a RBI single during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game five of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Former New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo made headlines this week when he signed a very late contract with the Atlanta Braves.

Verdugo was not spectacular last season for the Yankees by any means, but he was also not bad enough to still be fighting for a job this close to the campaign beginning.

Though his slash line of .233/.291/.356 was certainly not enough to make anyone want to hand him a massive deal, his 13 home runs and 61 RBI, along with still very solid fielding, should have been enough to land somewhere earlier.

According to a new report, however, Verdugo had some very competitive offers, but he misplayed the market dreadfully, leaving a huge offer from the Pittsburgh Pirates on the table, which resulted in him settling for pennies on the dollar with the Braves.

The 28-year-old got $1.5 million from Atlanta, but according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Verdugo could have made more than five times that.

"[Verdugo] signed with the Braves for $1.5 million and did it so late he had to be sent to Triple-A Gwinnett until he's ready," Heyman wrote. "The Pirates pursued and were prepared to sign Verdugo early, floating $8M plus (but eventually used that same money for Tommy Pham and Andrew Heaney)."

Verdugo will likely make the climb from Triple-A back to the big leagues fairly early in the season. He simply needs some tuning up after missing virtually all of spring training, but the veteran will likely be thinking about what could have been in the financial department.

He was actually very critical to the Yankees playoff run, collecting 10 hits on the way to a World Series defeat against the Los Angeles Dodgers, even hitting a home run during the Fall Classic.

Depending on how top prospect Jasson Domínguez looks in left field this year -- where New York is determined to play him despise some fielding issues during the spring -- many could point to Verdugo and argue the Yankees should have kept him and put Domínguez at the designated hitter spot, especially with Giancarlo Stanton out.

It never seemed like a real possibility for there to be a reunion between Verdugo and New York after his one-year deal worth nearly $9 million came to an end.

Though he will not be remembered as a star in the Bronx, fans will monitor what he is able to do this season with the Braves and whether or not the Yankees made a mistake by not bringing him back.