LOS ANGELES – Alex Verdugo got nostalgic as he recalled 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 to date, Verdugo loved playing in Los Angeles.

That’s why it bothered him so much when he was sent to the Red Sox in the Mookie Betts deal after that season.

“I was upset. I was pretty clear that 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, the only motivation needed is winning a World Series championship, but beating his old team would give Verdugo something extra.

“You want to win and you want to show them, ‘Hey, you guys got rid of me and maybe it wasn’t the right decision,’” he said.

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Verdugo has faced the Dodgers a few times since the trade, but this is his first time back at Dodger Stadium. There were admittedly mixed feelings about the Yankees’ starting left fielder.

“It’s special to finally be back here and play in front of this crowd,” he said. “This fan base showed me nothing but love. … It will feel good to come out here and play in front of the Dodgers crowd again.” Just feel that atmosphere, that was one thing about playing here.”

He added: “I think about it a few times in my mind. Part of me kind of wants to say, “Hey man, welcome back,” and then it’s like, “Okay, it’s the World Series, we’re going to boo you.” We’ll see. In the end, I still love this palace. Nothing will change that – that feeling when I was here.

After four seasons with the Red Sox, Verdugo was traded for the second time this offseason.

He started hot but cooled off considerably, to the point that there was a time in September when it looked like top player Jasson Dominguez could replace Verdugo in the starting lineup.

But manager Aaron Boone traded Verdugo over Dominguez, and he’s enjoyed a solid October, playing well defensively and scoring some big goals.

“For me, obviously, I thought it was the right decision,” the 28-year-old Verdugo said. “For (Boone) to kind of stay with his guys and gain experience was big for me. He gave me the confidence I needed to come through, get some big hits here and there and get some big RBIs.”