FORT MYERS, Fla. (WHDH) — New Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo embraced David Ortiz with a gigantic hug as soon as he saw the legendary slugger step foot in the team’s spring training clubhouse in Fort Myers, Florida, on Thursday.
The Red Sox shared a video of Verdugo, 23, racing toward Big Papi and wrapping his arms around him with overwhelming joy.
“Remember, you’re very important to this organization. We want you around here for a very long time,” Ortiz told Verdugo in the video.
Prior to the unforgettable moment, Verdugo told reporters, “If I see David Ortiz here, I’m giving him the biggest hug.”
Verdugo, who had never met Ortiz, was acquired in a blockbuster trade earlier this month that sent Mookie Betts and David Price to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Never meet your heroes… Unless they’re @davidortiz! pic.twitter.com/We5ZoazetQ
— Red Sox (@RedSox) February 20, 2020
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)