The Cleveland Guardians are back in the mix for a playoff spot.
The slumping New York Yankees keep making things easier, and with the Guardians one of the hottest teams in baseball, it looks like it’s a matter of time before they pass them in the AL Wild Card standings.
However, you can never be sure, and it never hurts to have some options.
With that in mind, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report believes the Guardians should give veteran Alex Verdugo a chance.
“Despite a decent 2024 campaign (at least in the outfield) with the Yankees in which he even hit a home run in the World Series, nobody seemed to want Alex Verdugo this past offseason. There he sits once again, unsigned for over a month at this point, even as teams like the Guardians, [Kansas City] Royals and [Philadelphia] Phillies could put just about any warm body with outfield experience to some use,” Miller wrote.
Granted, Verdugo isn’t always the most proficient hitter, but he’s a proven veteran with playoff experience.
The Guardians have struggled to find offensive production from their outfielders all season long.
Even Steven Kwan hasn’t played up to his usual standards for the past couple of weeks.
They called up C.J. Kayfus, and he’s been a valuable contributor, but putting that much pressure on a rookie might not be wise or fair.
There are only so many options available at this point in the season.
Convincing Verdugo to sign shouldn’t be difficult, knowing that this might be his final shot in the majors.
The Guardians don’t usually spend big money, but he should be cheap and easy to get.
There’s nothing to lose and a lot to win, and there’s no legitimate reason the Guardians shouldn’t at least consider making a run at him.
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