July 31: Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports ( ) that rival clubs inquiring on Verdugos availability have gotten the impre sion the Sox plan to retain him past the deadline. July 30: As the Red Sox remain in the wild card race and seem likely to add pieces before Tuesdays trade deadline, the club has already dealt and might also move other regulars in an effort to upgrade the roster as a whole. report that the Sox are open to at Yennsy Diaz Jersey least listening to offers for outfielder , and one unknown AL team in discu sions with the Red Sox said the Sox brought up Verdugos name as part of ongoing trade talks. Whether the Red Sox are in listening mode or might be more actively shopping Verdugo, it seems that there is a po sibility the right fielder might be in another uniform by Wednesday. Such an outcome might have seemed unlikely as recently as June 27, when Verdugo was hitting .307/.379/.477 over his first 322 plate appearances and seemed on the way to the best season of his seven-year MLB career. However, the last month of play has been rough for Verdugo, as he followed up that dream start by hitting .143/.212/.234 over his next 85 PA. Overall, the 27-year-old has a .272/.345/.424 slash line in 412 PA, good for a 108 wRC+ that is still above league average. And, Verdugos glovework hasnt slumped, as his +15.8 UZR/150 and +11 Defensive Runs Saved rank him among the best defensive right fielders in the game in 2023. In a deadline season where available pitchers available hitters, the Red Sox would be sure to find plenty of interest in a productive bat who is controlled through 2024 via his final year of arbitration eligibility. Even if Verdugo is retained beyond the deadline, it isnt clear if he is in Bostons long-term plans. The outfielder told McAdam that theres been zero talks about an extension.they havent come to me with anything. So theres not one way to lead me to believe that theyre interested in that, you know what I mean? Theres no real talks of an extension, so since theres no real talk of getting anything done, theres nothing to get done . has also been mentioned as a po sible Red Sox trade chip at the deadline, since the veteran outfielder is a free agent after the season. However, in the event of a Verdugo trade, Duvall would step in as the new right fielder, joining and as the regular starters. If chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom felt particularly bold, he could aim to both move Verdugo and Duvall in separate transactions, and look to obtain another outfielder with more long-term control. Top prospect might also factor into Bostons immediate plans, as he has been playing well in his first taste of Triple-A ball. From Verdugos perspective, he said he wants to remain with the Red Sox but is understanding about the realities of the trade market. Noting that he came to the Red Sox in the first place as part of the blockbuster trade, Verdugo told McAdam, I thought I wouldnt get traded and I ended up getting traded. This isnt my first time and I feel like once you get traded, you dont care. You dont take no hard feelings. You just go out there to play, play hard. Wherever you are in the big leagues, its a ble sing . Jack Morris Jersey