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By Aaliyan Mohammed
Contributing Sports Writer
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The New York Yankees made significant changes to their outfield this offseason. They lost Juan Soto to the New York Mets and brought in Cody Bellinger via trade. The team also opted not to re-sign Alex Verdugo.
Verdugo remains unsigned and Marcus Stroman had some cryptic comments when asked why he thinks that is.
"Yes, I am (surprised)," Stroman told The Athletic. "That's all I'm going to say on it. But a lot of things surprise in this game nowadays. Just keep it at that."
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Stroman's comments about being surprised by things around the league could stem from his own offseason experience. The Yankees reportedly shopped Stroman this winter but were unable to move him. That made for an awkward arrival to spring training for him. Now, with injuries to Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil, Stroman will be leaned on to start games when just a few weeks ago the team was contemplating making him come out of the bullpen.
Verdugo did not have the best season for the Yankees, but for him to not have a new team is puzzling. He had a .233 batting average and 13 home runs after the Yankees signed him to a one-year, $8.7 million deal, avoiding arbitration. Stroman went on to share his thoughts on Verdugo as a teammate as well.
"Incredible teammate," Stroman told The Athletic. "Incredible dude."
Verdugo went into last season with a .281 career batting average. His .233 average from 2024 could simply be viewed as an outlier. However, Verdugo reportedly has not received so much as a major-league offer this offseason.
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