Red Sox Rumors: Dodgers can assemble best Mookie Betts trade package
By Sean Penney
Why the Dodgers deal is better
San Diego’s prospects rate higher so if they are willing to include both Patino and Campusano then their package has to be considered if Boston’s priority is to restock the farm system.
The Red Sox presumably want to at least give their fans the impression that they intend to remain competitive even if they trade one of the best players in baseball. In that case, the major-league talent matters.
Verdugo can step right into right field to replace Betts. He can’t replace his MVP-caliber production (few can) but Verdugo is capable of a 4.0+ WAR season that would put him on the fringe of All-Star consideration, similar to Andrew Benintendi‘s breakout 2018 season.
Gonsolin could immediately supplant Martin Perez as the No. 5 starter and potentially move up the rotational hierarchy given the shaky health status of their top pitchers. The Red Sox could use Gonsolin out of the bullpen if they want to monitor his workload while giving him the occasional spot start. His long-term upside would be in the rotation and if he were still eligible for prospect status he’d rank far higher than any pitcher in the Red Sox farm system.
Gray and Ruiz might not be on the same level as the Padres prospects but they are still two of the top 100 prospects in baseball. Both have bright futures and would improve the depth of a thin Red Sox farm system that counts Triston Casas (No. 77) as their only prospect in the MLB Pipeline rankings.