In Photos: Yankees' Alex Verdugo elevates Spring Training style with custom Nike Air Jordan cleats 

Former hotshot Boston CF Alex Verdugo completed a sensational move to the NY Yankees this winter in a deal that saw the Red Sox receive three pitchers in exchange: right-handers Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice.

Verdugo is putting in the work for his new ballclub this spring, training in style. His custom Nike Jordan cleats for the training were multicolored, with the crest of the Yankees on one side.

Adjacent to it was the drawing of the Statue of Liberty, while on the other side was a message written in the colors of Mexico's flag.

After joining the Red Sox as the primary returner in the trade that sent outfielder and 2018 World Series winner Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Verdugo has played for the team for the last four seasons.

His trade to the Yankees is the eighth player deal between the two most successful baseball clubs in the MLB. Verdugo, who will play for about $9 million in his last season of arbitration, ended the previous season with a .264/.324/.421 line, 13 home runs and 54 RBIs in 142 games.

Boston decided to put Alex Verdugo on the trade market because he was going to hit free agency after the 2024 season. Several clubs expressed interest in signing him, but the Yankees acquired him to start in the outfield alongside Aaron Judge and Juan Soto.

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Yankees captain Aaron Judge played key role in bringing Alex Verdugo to the Bronx this offseason

When Alex Verdugo learned that the Red Sox had traded him to New York for three right-handed pitchers, he admitted feeling "mad."

However, he added that he had been in contact with Aaron Judge through outfielder Willie Calhoun, who was a Yankee last season. That helped him see the trade deal as a good outcome this winter.

"I’ve been preaching for years that we’ve got to get that guy," said Judge about Verdugo.

"He’s a gamer. He’s a competitor. He plays hard. I’ve seen him play through injuries; I know he was a little banged up even last year. He had a couple of things going on. But every single time we played them, he was out there hustling, doing his thing."

Alex Verdugo could gain from a new start. Last season, Red Sox manager Alex Cora benched Verdugo twice. However, after speaking with Cora beforehand, Yankees boss Aaron Boone has promised Verdugo a new start in the Bronx.

"A.C. was hard on me, but I don’t have any hard feelings toward him," Verdugo said about Cora. "Toward the end, I think we ran our course out a little bit. He’s a good manager. It’s just we were clashing heads a little bit toward the end. I’m very happy being where I am right now."

"His talent as a hitter, I feel like there’s probably even more in there. He’s going to be an important cog in what we hope is a really good offense."

Alex Verdugo batted and consistently hit over league average but never became a star at Fenway Park. In 493 games with Boston, he batted .281/.338/.424 with 43 home runs and 206 RBIs, mostly playing centre field and the corner outfield positions.