The Boston Red Sox trade Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-team deal that also includes the Minnesota Twins. The Dodgers will also acquire LHP David Price from the Red Sox as well as cash to pay for half of Price’s remaining $96 million contract. The Red Sox will acquire OF Alex Verdugo from the Dodgers and RHP Brusdar Graterol from the Twins. The Twins will acquire RHP Kenta Maeda from the Dodgers.
With this deal, the Red Sox will move under the luxury tax which has been their goal of the offseason. The front office may have seen this trade as a win, but on the field, the Red Sox are now a clear third-best in the AL East. The Red Sox are at risk of missing the playoffs for the second straight season after winning the World Series in 2018. Alex Verdugo will have to produce quickly for Boston if they want to be in the AL Wild Card race come September.
The Dodgers, on the other hand, become the clear favorites in the National League and will be the second favorite to the New York Yankees to win the World Series. With a lineup that includes 2018 AL MVP Mookie Betts, 2019 NL MVP Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, Corey Seager and more, the Dodgers will look to steamroll through the NL. An overlooked part of this deal, however, is David Price. Price started 22 games last season and had a 4.28 ERA, his worst since 2009. In his previous three seasons with the Red Sox, Price had a 3.74 ERA in 76 starts. Price, by all measures, is still a competent starting pitcher. With only half of his contract to pay, the Dodgers are getting him at a good price.
The Twins, while not being the main story do get better from this trade. Maeda has proven to be a solid pitcher since coming from Japan with a 3.87 career ERA in 103 starts. While Brusdar Graterol has shown promise with a fastball that reaches 100 mph, the Twins seemed to view him as a late reliever rather than an impact starter. With Maeda, the Twins have reinforced a rotation that desperately needed it after the 2019 ALDS. This moves keeps the Twins as favorites in an uncertain AL Central division behind them.
The bottom line is the Red Sox trade Betts to the Dodgers and has a front office that prioritizes money over winning. That should scare people in Boston.
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