Red Sox Trade Mookie Betts and David Price to Los Angeles Dodgers (2/4/20)

In one of the darkest moments of Boston Red Sox history, the fallout of former general manager Dave Dombrowski culminated with the trade of superstar, MVP Mookie Betts and ace pitcher David Price to the Los Angeles Dodgers. When Dombrowski extended Nathan Eovaldi, Chris Sale and Steve Pearce, it put the Sox over the luxury tax. Sox owner John Henry told new general manager Chaim Bloom to unload the high priced duo to get under the tax. Almost 100 years to the day the Sox sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees, the Sox have traded their best player and second best pitcher. Betts and Price were instrumental in the 2018 World Series run, its a shame its all over now.

                                                               Good bye guys

So what did the Sox get in return? 23 year old outfielder Alex Verdugo from the Dodgers and 21 year old pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol from the Minnesota Twins. Verdugo hit .294 in his first full season with the Dodgers and is a few years younger than Betts, but he's nowhere close to the caliber of player Mookie is. Graterol is a flamethrower and was the Twins #3 ranked pitching prospect. These two players don't come anywhere close to what the Sox gave up and its embarrassing to the whole Red Sox organization.

                                               Welcome to Boston

Despite what ownership and the media will spin, this was purely a salary dump. The bad contracts to Pablo Sandoval, Rusney Castillo, Price and others have all led to this point. Betts wants to be paid 30 million a year and 400 total and the Sox simply couldn't afford it. As long as Verdugo doesn't implode like Allen Craig, Betts *could* be replaced by him. The Sox have a hole in their rotation now with Price gone. Sale, Eovaldi, Eduardo Rodriguez and Martin Perez are the 1-4 but now they have no idea who the 5th starter is. With Spring Training only days away, the Sox go into it without Mookie, Price or a manager. So much for this season....