Red Sox agree to trade Mookie Betts, David Price to Dodgers

[BROOKLYN JET 6,859]

The Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to a deal with the Boston Red Sox that would send star outfielder Mookie Betts and starter David Price to the Dodgers, sources familiar with the deal told ESPN.

The deal is pending medical reviews.

Outfielder Alex Verdugo will be the centerpiece of the package headed back to Boston, sources said. It wasn't immediately clear what additional players were involved nor how much money, if any, Boston was sending to Los Angeles to complete the deal.

With the bidding for Betts heating up between the Dodgers and the National League West rival San Diego Padres in recent days, Boston chose to deal with Los Angeles and improve the team that lost in the division series to the Washington Nationals, the eventual World Series champions.

The 27-year-old Betts is coming off a season in which he hit .295/.391/.524 and finished eighth in American League MVP voting. He won the 2018 MVP, hitting .346/.438/.640 during the Red Sox's championship-winning season.

Throughout the winter, Boston entertained offers for Betts, whose free-agent haul following the 2020 season could exceed $400 million. Betts will make $27 million this year. And as Boston tries to dip beneath the $208 million luxury tax threshold, clearing its books of Betts and Price will go a long way toward reaching that goal. Price has three years and $96 million remaining on his contract.

Still, dealing Betts was far from a certainty for Boston, particularly after watching him develop from a fifth-round pick in 2011 and become one of the best players in baseball. In fewer than 5½ seasons with the Red Sox, Betts piled up 42.0 wins above replacement, according to Baseball-Reference.com.

The Dodgers coveted him, even knowing he could leave via free agency after one season. The Dodgers' depth allowed them to stomach the potential value given away and take comfort in the knowledge that they'll add Betts to a lineup that already includes reigning NL MVP Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, Max Muncy and top prospect Gavin Lux.

For most of the winter, the Dodgers had been quiet, watching top free agents Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rendon and Stephen Strasburg sign elsewhere. Los Angeles' lone free-agent signings this winter have been one-year deals for reliever Blake Treinen ($10 million) and starters Alex Wood ($4 million) and Jimmy Nelson ($1 million). San Diego looked to keep the Dodgers from making a big acquisition, hoping Boston would take one of its offers, which were centered around top catching prospect Luis Campusano and major league players. Boston preferred Los Angeles, as Bloom made his first big trade with Dodgers president Andrew Friedman, with whom he worked while running the Tampa Bay Rays.

Los Angeles, which hasn't won a championship since 1988, lost in back-to-back World Series against the Houston Astros and Red Sox. The 2017 Astros, who beat Los Angeles in seven games, cheated during that season by stealing signs and warning hitters what pitchers were coming by banging on trash cans, according to a report from Major League Baseball. The 2018 Red Sox also are under investigation for using technology to steal signs.

Both the Astros and Red Sox fired their managers in the wake of the controversy, and Boston still has not named a manager with pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training on Feb. 11.

Verdugo, 23, hit .294/.342/.475 with a 2.2 WAR in 377 plate appearances for the Dodgers last season. He took over in center field when A.J. Pollock was out.

He didn't play after Aug. 4 because of a back injury that he re-aggravated while on a rehab assignment in September.

He's excellent aginst left-handed pitching. He's under team control through the 2024 season. He'll make the MLB minimum of $563,500 in 2020. He's a member of the Mexican National team.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/28636934/red-sox-agree-trade-mookie-betts-david-price-dodgers?platform=amp

[The Crimson King 3,228]

Amazing deal for the Dodgers. In fact someone should call the authorities because this is a steal if (and it's a big if) Price comes back. Bellinger and Betts in the same outfield. Wow.

Too bad the Mets aren't a big market team like the Dodgers and able to deal on this level.

[SAM SAM HE'S OUR MAN 3,048]

The Mets are f-cked . Every  National league team is getting better and we are standing in quicksand . SELL WILPON SELL .

[section314 8,514]

10 hours ago, The Crimson King said:

Amazing deal for the Dodgers. In fact someone should call the authorities because this is a steal if (and it's a big if) Price comes back. Bellinger and Betts in the same outfield. Wow.

Too bad the Mets aren't a big market team like the Dodgers and able to deal on this level.

Sounds like the pariahs that currently own the team are about to make sure that doesn't change.

[CrazyCarl40 53,146]

11 hours ago, SAM SAM HE'S OUR MAN said:

The Mets are f-cked . Every  National league team is getting better and we are standing in quicksand . SELL WILPON SELL .

Imagine raising prices at Fenway Park every year and telling Sox fans you can’t afford the best player they’ve ever developed. I hate everything right now. 

[section314 8,514]

10 minutes ago, CrazyCarl40 said:

Imagine raising prices at Fenway Park every year and telling Sox fans you can’t afford the best player they’ve ever developed. I hate everything right now. 

I get your point, but not even close.

[Jetsfan80 119,761]

3 minutes ago, section314 said:

I get your point, but not even close.

Yeah, color me unsympathetic to the winner of 4 of the last 16 World Series.  

[section314 8,514]

1 minute ago, Jetsfan80 said:

Yeah, color me unsympathetic to the winner of 4 of the last 16 World Series.  

LOL. I was really reacting to the fact that Ted Williams, Yaz, Fred Lynn and Dewey Evans were products of the Sox system. And Jim Rice. But you are right, kinda like feeling bad that the SF Giants are in the tank right now.

[CrazyCarl40 53,146]

6 minutes ago, section314 said:

LOL. I was really reacting to the fact that Ted Williams, Yaz, Fred Lynn and Dewey Evans were products of the Sox system. And Jim Rice. But you are right, kinda like feeling bad that the SF Giants are in the tank right now.

Betts in 5 full seasons, entering his prime, is already top 10 in WAR. If he stayed with the Sox, he would have been up near he top. He’s a complete player and one of the three best players in the league. 

[section314 8,514]

6 minutes ago, CrazyCarl40 said:

Betts in 5 full seasons, entering his prime, is already top 10 in WAR. If he stayed with the Sox, he would have been up near he top. He’s a complete player and one of the three best players in the league. 

He is a great player, but there isn't a Sox fan alive that would take him over the 5 guys mentioned above.

[CrazyCarl40 53,146]

1 hour ago, section314 said:

He is a great player, but there isn't a Sox fan alive that would take him over the 5 guys mentioned above.

He’s only 26. I’m a Sox fan. He could go down as one of the all time greats. Come back in 10 years. Then we can talk. 

[chirorob 4,652]

I don't think it's as much of a steal as everyone else.

They get Betts for one year, he is going FA, and he is going to test the market.   Price is old, and has thrown 340 innings in the last 3 years, with a terrible contract.   I guess it depends on how much of Price's salary Boston has to eat in the trade.

[Thai Jet 163,226]

14 minutes ago, chirorob said:

I don't think it's as much of a steal as everyone else.

They get Betts for one year, he is going FA, and he is going to test the market.   Price is old, and has thrown 340 innings in the last 3 years, with a terrible contract.   I guess it depends on how much of Price's salary Boston has to eat in the trade.

Initially I heard Sox would pay 1/2. 

[Thai Jet 163,226]

5 hours ago, CrazyCarl40 said:

Imagine raising prices at Fenway Park every year and telling Sox fans you can’t afford the best player they’ve ever developed. I hate everything right now. 

Ditto. Mookie seemed bent on FA from the start. Better that we traded him now as opposed to letting him go in FA and getting nothing in return. I'm just shocked we didn't get more for one of the top players in the game. I expected at least 2 other lower level prospects to help  replenish the  Sox farm system. Very disappointing.

[SAM SAM HE'S OUR MAN 3,048]

6 hours ago, CrazyCarl40 said:

Imagine raising prices at Fenway Park every year and telling Sox fans you can’t afford the best player they’ve ever developed. I hate everything right now. 

They kept raising prices because they had the highest salaries in MLB . You reap what you sow .

[CrazyCarl40 53,146]

3 hours ago, SAM SAM HE'S OUR MAN said:

They kept raising prices because they had the highest salaries in MLB . You reap what you sow .

No. They’re owned by billionaires who make money hand over fist and are greedy. 

[CrazyCarl40 53,146]

4 hours ago, Thai Jet said:

Ditto. Mookie seemed bent on FA from the start. Better that we traded him now as opposed to letting him go in FA and getting nothing in return. I'm just shocked we didn't get more for one of the top players in the game. I expected at least 2 other lower level prospects to help  replenish the  Sox farm system. Very disappointing.

Could have gotten more if they didn’t have to ditch Price too. This can all be traced back to low balling Jon Lester. Clown owners. 

[The Gooch 198]

Twins just backed out of the trade, either the Red Sox and Dodgers get another team involved or they just do it themselves!!!!

[Philc1 13,079]

Lol

[Maxman 538,646]

On 2/5/2020 at 10:17 AM, CrazyCarl40 said:

Imagine raising prices at Fenway Park every year and telling Sox fans you can’t afford the best player they’ve ever developed. I hate everything right now. 

It is tough, as a Yankee fan I love seeing him go. They don't look to be in "cap hell" but they do have like 90 million tied up in Sale, Martinez, Bogaerts and Eovaldi the next 3 or so seasons. Some of those are going to hurt.

[CrazyCarl40 53,146]

3 minutes ago, Maxman said:

It is tough, as a Yankee fan I love seeing him go. They don't look to be in "cap hell" but they do have like 90 million tied up in Sale, Martinez, Bogaerts and Eovaldi the next 3 or so seasons. Some of those are going to hurt.

They were up against the luxury tax for a third season which meant losing picks and other punishments. That said, the problem isn’t that they’re paying the guys you mentioned. Problem is they’re paying Rusney Castillo to toil in the minors for like 14 million, Pedroia (god love him) 13 million without having played in two years, and paying Price 16 million to pitch for the Dodgers. They got all caught up in the 2018 championship and made some bad decisions. That’s why they have a new GM. Also, up until this season I think they were still paying Pablo Sandoval a god awful sum. 

[Maxman 538,646]

9 minutes ago, CrazyCarl40 said:

They were up against the luxury tax for a third season which meant losing picks and other punishments. That said, the problem isn’t that they’re paying the guys you mentioned. Problem is they’re paying Rusney Castillo to toil in the minors for like 14 million, Pedroia (god love him) 13 million without having played in two years, and paying Price 16 million to pitch for the Dodgers. They got all caught up in the 2018 championship and made some bad decisions. That’s why they have a new GM. Also, up until this season I think they were still paying Pablo Sandoval a god awful sum. 

Yeah I wanted to look Price up, I wasn't sure how the $ was allocated now. Dustin played in 9 games the past two years, so he has Ellsbury beat. Man that is a terrible contract the Yankees gave him.