When Alex Verdugo made his first remarks as a Yankee earlier this offseason, the outfielder repeatedly talked about his new look.
Gone was the beard that once covered his face with the Red Sox. After being traded in December, Verdugo had to shave in accordance with the Yankees’ grooming policy.
“I actually really like it,” he said. “It feels like a fresh start, and I feel like a kid again.”
While all new Yankees must adhere to the rules, Verdugo is not the first to undergo a significant makeover after transitioning from Boston to the Bronx. Johnny Damon famously had to chop off his long locks when he signed with the Yankees before the 2006 season.
After four years of tormenting the Bombers – including during the infamous 2004 ALCS – Damon switched sides. Though he wasn’t necessarily looking to.
“Well, at least he got traded,” Damon, referring to Verdugo, said over the weekend at Pinstripe Pride, an autograph signing at New Jersey’s American Dream mall. “I was a free agent and a lot of Red Sox fans were unhappy. I wasn’t happy that the Red Sox didn’t try to bring me back, but it’s a tough move.”
Damon reasoned that the oft-injured Jacoby Ellsbury likely had more trouble making the same shift, as he had only played for the Red Sox before signing with the Yankees in 2013. The pinstripers were Damon’s fourth team, and he had already been in the majors for over a decade.
He understood the business side of the game.
“It’s a little bit easier, but it’s still hard,” Damon said. “I was a fan favorite up in Boston, and coming to New York, it’s tough.
“At least the Yankee fans respected the way I play the game. So when they got me, they knew what I was going to bring to the table. I always like to tell people I’ve been loved and hated everywhere I’ve been, and I’m doing okay right now. It took years, but I’m doing okay now.”
While Damon, a curse-breaker with the Red Sox, was beloved there, Verdugo’s time in Boston ended on a sour note.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora benched the 27-year-old on two separate occasions last year, once for failing to hustle and once for arriving late to the ballpark. Timeliness had been an issue for Verdugo during his early days with the Dodgers, too.
During his introductory Zoom call, Verdugo took a not-so-subtle shot at Cora while discussing the reprimands and praising Aaron Boone’s reputation for standing by his players.
“I think just instead of airing people out, have their backs,” Verdugo said without mentioning Cora. “I’m really excited for this fresh start and just to kind of get with the guys and really just change the narrative. Go out there, play hard, work hard and just have fun. That’s the biggest thing.”
Damon said that Verdugo should be fine in New York. An impending free agent fresh off a league-average season, the lefty-swinger should certainly be motivated.
“Just don’t pay attention to anything,” Damon advised.
It turns out the two-time champion has taken the same approach to the Yankees’ offseason. While Damon seemed aware of Verdugo’s familiar journey, the 18-year veteran had to be told that the Yankees also acquired Juan Soto shortly after trading for Verdugo.
“Oh! Okay, all right. Thank you filling me in,” said Damon, who focuses more on football and soccer – as well as his eight kids – this time of year.
But the former speedster went on to say that Soto is “an absolute beast.” Like Verdugo, Damon is looking forward to watching Soto’s first – and possibly only – season in pinstripes.
“He’s going to run into 40 home runs,” Damon predicted. “So don’t be surprised if he is just that stud that we all know he is. Very happy for him. I wanted him to join the Yankees years ago, but we know how this business works. And now the Yankees have him. He’s going to be fantastic.
“I will pay a little more attention during the course of the season.”
