Alex Verdugo took his sweet time circling bases after home run

Alex Verdugo blasted a home run against his former team on Saturday, and the New York Yankees outfielder might still be rounding the bases.

Verdugo launched a two-run home run during the bottom of the 3rd inning of the Yankees’ 14-4 thumping of the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, N.Y. The Yankees were trailing 3-1 at the time, so the homer tied the score.

After briefly admiring his 422-foot shot, Verdugo proceeded to take his sweet time rounding the bases. His home run trot lasted more than 30 seconds.

Alex Verdugo took 30+ seconds to round the bases! He only did that because he’s hitting .390 the last month and is tired of getting so many hits pic.twitter.com/b20GPF7XrM

— Fuzzy (@fuzzyfromyt) July 6, 2024

It was a hot day in the Bronx, so perhaps Verdugo did not want to expend any more energy than he had to. Or, it is possible that he wanted to savor the moment after the Red Sox traded him to their biggest rival over the winter.

Verdugo landed in Boston as part of the team’s blockbuster Mookie Betts trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020. The 28-year-old was better than expected with the Red Sox and became a fan favorite. There was talk of a rift between Verdugo and Boston manager Alex Cora before Verdugo was traded to the Yankees. While Verdugo has downplayed that, he did have some criticism for his former team’s front office.

Whether it was deliberate or not, Verdugo certainly was in no rush to get to home plate after crushing that ball.