Yankees’ Alex Verdugo has some extra World Series motivation: ‘I was upset’
NY Post
LOS ANGELES — Alex Verdugo grew nostalgic as he thought back to his days as a Dodger.
From breaking into the major leagues with them in 2017 to helping them win 106 games in 2019 in one of the most complete seasons of his career up to this point, Verdugo loved playing in Los Angeles.
Which is why it bothered him so much when he was sent to the Red Sox in the Mookie Betts deal following that season.
“I was upset. I was pretty clear I didn’t want to go anywhere,” Verdugo said Thursday on the eve of the World Series. “I understood it from a business aspect and all that, but I was pretty hurt by it.”
At this stage, all the motivation needed is winning a World Series championship, but beating his old team would provide something extra for Verdugo.
“You want to win and you want to kind of show them, ‘Hey, you guys got rid of me and maybe it wasn’t the right decision,’ ” he said.
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