Boston Red Sox: Five outfield options to consider if Mookie Betts is traded
By Matt Clark
With the Red Sox reportedly close to trading Mookie Betts, we look at five potential replacements for him in the outfield.
The Red Sox currently have a deal for superstar outfielder Mookie Betts, with the Los Angeles Dodgers receiving Betts and David Price, Boston receiving Alex Verdugo and Brusdar Graterol and the Minnesota Twins receiving Kenta Maeda.
However, that deal is currently being held up because of issues surrounding the medical records of Graterol. In addition, reports have surfaced about Verdugo’s alleged involvement in a sexual assault case in 2015. As a result, the deal could be canceled or completely restructured from its current form.
If the Red Sox are unable to get an outfielder in the return package for Betts, they will undoubtedly be in search of a replacement for him. With a shallow outfield free-agent market quickly drying up, there remain very few viable options still available for the Red Sox.
If Boston is not interested or is unable to land one of the few remaining free-agent options, they could look internally for a replacement to Betts. While it will be nearly impossible to fill the offensive void that would be created by trading away a player of the caliber of Betts, the Red Sox will do their best to mitigate the lost production.
With their options dwindling, here are five potential replacements that the Boston Red Sox could opt to turn to in order to fill the vacancy in the outfield left by trading away Mookie Betts: