With a new report indicating that the Red Sox would like to unload David Price, it seems more and more likely that Mookie Betts will play 2020 in Boston.
A new report from Jeff Passan of ESPN indicates that the Red Sox have a strong desire to cut left-hander David Price. His tweet indicates that Boston is willing to eat some of his remaining salary; the primary objective being to get him off of the roster.
The Boston Red Sox continue to pursue ways to shed salary, and multiple teams have targeted starter David Price, sources tell ESPN. He is owed $96 million over the next three years. Red Sox could either attach player with value or potentially pay down some of Price's remaining $.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 11, 2019
This newest rumor impacts if Mookie Betts will stay in Boston for sure. With Chaim Bloom having a goal to cut the Red Sox payroll down to below $208 million, there seems to be a greater interest in trading a starter as opposed to the former MVP.
Price has had issues on and off the field since he signed with the Red Sox back in 2015. He has gotten in a multitude of quarrels with Dennis Eckersley while not performing up to what had been the largest contract ever for a starting pitcher.
The Red Sox seem more unlikely to trade Betts now if they can line up a trade for Price. Mookie can be the face of the franchise, something the left-hander can never be in Boston. That’s good news as it makes the team much better for 2020 and a chance to return to the postseason.
The lefty also probably has a greater market than the right fielder. Price will make more money than Betts, but as the report mentioned, the Red Sox are willing to eat some of his salary. Betts is also a rental making him a risk to acquire while Price has three more years of control beginning in 2020.
Overall, this report should excite Red Sox Nation. Mookie is a player that Chaim Bloom should look to lock up to a long-term contract to spend the rest of his career in Boston. The way I have always seen the Betts situation is that you build around the player, not the players he can bring back in a trade.
While Price has at times performed well, if you look at his overall tenure with the Red Sox, it hasn’t been good. He is getting paid too much for what he’s producing and it looks as if Chaim Bloom will trade the correct player, anyone but Mookie, and end Price’s tenure in Boston once and for all this offseason.