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JON VANKIN is a journalist and author. He’s the creator of 5 nonfiction books and 9 graphic novels. His writing has appeared in The New York Occasions Journal, Salon, the L.A. Weekly and dozens of different publications and he has acquired quite a few awards and honors together with three New England Press Affiliation awards.
In connection together with his work, Vankin has made quite a few media appearances on such networks as CNN, CNBC, FOX, the BBC and the CBC in addition to a whole lot of radio stations and podcasts.
Vankin in his wide-ranging profession has additionally served as an editor of comedian books and newspapers. He’s the editor of the NEW YORK TIMES #1 BESTSELLING graphic novel GET JIRO! by the late, nice Anthony Bourdain. He co-wrote the hit Off Broadway musical FOREVER DUSTY, and served as a sportswriter and editor at The Every day Yomiuri, the English-language version of Japan’s largest newspaper, the Yomiuri Shimbun, in Tokyo.
Contributing Sports activities Author
A lot of the 62 remaining unsigned MLB free brokers have one factor in frequent that would account for why they haven’t discovered any takers in free company but — they’re previous. Not less than in baseball phrases. For instance, reliever David Robertson can be 40 in April. Slugger J.D. Martinez is 37. First baseman Anthony Rizzo is 35. Bullpen righty Joe Kelly is 36.
In truth, of these 62 unsigned free brokers solely 5 are youthful than 34 years previous. And two of these are 31.
After which there’s Alex Verdugo.
At 28 years and 9 months previous, the previous New York Yankees outfielder who struck out to end the 2024 World Series is the youngest free agent nonetheless and not using a crew — a puzzling fall from grace for a six-year veteran who’s 2019 was the Los Angeles Dodgers No. 1 prospect.
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Photographs
Whereas Verdugo’s profession has been disappointingly mediocre to this point with a career OPS of .742, which interprets to an OPS+ of 101 (the MLB common OPS+ is about at 100), there isn’t any query that he’s no less than helpful outfielder nonetheless in his prime years. However the Yankees confirmed no real interest in retaining him.
Why has he discovered nobody to signal him?
Longtime MLB insider journalist Ken Rosenthal questioned the identical factor, talking on his “Fair Territory” podcast Friday. Rosenthal appeared to conclude that the reply could lie in Verdugo’s “completely different” persona.
“I do not know what the issue is right here,” Rosenthal mentioned on the podcast, discussing Verdugo’s predicament. “Sure, he has a unique persona, however teammates appear to love him. Perhaps at occasions, he can rub groups the mistaken manner, and positively didn’t end properly with the Yankees, however is he a significant league outfielder? Can he assist some crew? Completely.”
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Verdugo has rubbed his supervisor the mistaken manner at occasions. In 2023, his ultimate yr with the Boston Purple Sox, supervisor Alex Cora benched him twice, the first time in June for a failure to hustle on the bottom paths, after which once more in August allegedly for displaying up late to the ballpark.
“He did not play right this moment,” Cora said at the time. “Now we have to ensure all people’s out there each single day right here for us to get to wherever we will go. And that wasn’t the case. And as a supervisor, I’ve acquired to take cost of this, and I made a decision he wasn’t going to play.”
In New York in 2024, Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone took a unique method. After Verdugo did not run out a floor ball, Boone defended the player.
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“He is beat up,” Boone mentioned. “He picks his spots to the place –when he must, he beats out the pressure play, beats out a double play, will get the infield hit. Generally I want it could look slightly higher on sure ones.”
Making the thriller of Verdugo’s failure to discover a new crew in free company much more mysterious, on Friday Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that “earlier” within the offseason, the Pittsburgh Pirates “broached” the thought of signing Verdugo, “floating” a proposal within the $8 million vary.
However Heyman didn’t specify if the $8 million provide was ever formally made to Verdugo, or when. The Pirates wanted to fill a nook outfield function, however have since signed 37-year-old, 11-year veteran Tommy Pham to take that spot, so presumably the provide to Verdugo is now off the desk, if it was ever on the desk within the first place.
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Concerning the author
JON VANKIN is a journalist and author. He’s the creator of 5 nonfiction books and 9 graphic novels. His writing has appeared in The New York Occasions Journal, Salon, the L.A. Weekly and dozens of different publications and he has acquired quite a few awards and honors together with three New England Press Affiliation awards.
In connection together with his work, Vankin has made quite a few media appearances on such networks as CNN, CNBC, FOX, the BBC and the CBC in addition to a whole lot of radio stations and podcasts.
Vankin in his wide-ranging profession has additionally served as an editor of comedian books and newspapers. He’s the editor of the NEW YORK TIMES #1 BESTSELLING graphic novel GET JIRO! by the late, nice Anthony Bourdain. He co-wrote the hit Off Broadway musical FOREVER DUSTY, and served as a sportswriter and editor at The Every day Yomiuri, the English-language version of Japan’s largest newspaper, the Yomiuri Shimbun, in Tokyo.
JON VANKIN is a journalist and author. He’s the creator of 5 nonfiction books and 9 graphic novels. His …
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