Boston Red Sox trading Mookie Betts still stings one year later

The Red Sox traded Mookie Betts to the Dodgers one year ago

It’s been one year to the day that the Boston Red Sox made perhaps their most controversial deal in franchise history. Just over a century after sending Babe Ruth to the rival New York Yankees for $125,000, on February 10, 2020, the Red Sox sent the 2018 American League MVP and baseball superstar Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers for what, at the time, seemed like pennies on the dollar.

A year on, for most Red Sox fans, that remains the case. But, reluctantly, we’ve all had to put this in the past and become realistic about what this ballclub is going to be over the short-term, which isn’t a contending organization.

In the end, a deal for Betts was ominous and Red Sox Nation had to be ready for what was about to happen. Everything had been going so well. Just over a year earlier, the Sox were the World Series champions, breaking record after record, as Betts established himself as one of the faces of Major League Baseball.

In just a matter of months, everything went south. An 84-78 record in 2019 led to a complete reshuffle among the front office, as Dave Dombrowski was subbed out for Tampa Bay’s Chaim Bloom.

Then came the decision to rebuild. For Bloom, it was probably a straightforward one. The Red Sox had the worst farm system in baseball at that point. As incredible as the 2018 team was, it wasn’t going to be sustainable to keep it together for the long-term. But nobody thought Betts would be one of the pieces to get rid of.

The main goal was clear for Bloom – reduce salary and get the Red Sox below the luxury tax threshold. There were many players who could’ve been moved in order to do this, but in the end, it was the team’s superstar. There were complications over an extension for Betts, and reports that the team’s evaluation was way off, but at the end of the day, perhaps Betts himself didn’t want to commit to Boston for the long haul. He was moved, and instead committed to a juggernaut franchise in the Dodgers, where he’ll compete for championship after championship.

The package the Red Sox received this time last year for Betts wasn’t appreciated by many Red Sox fans, and I don’t think it should’ve been. You shouldn’t be happy about giving away a generational talent no matter what the return is. David Price was a success in Boston in the end, after his performance in the 2018 playoffs, but his inclusion in this deal wasn’t a huge surprise. The deal saw the Sox send a 27-year-old Betts, Price, and $48 million to Los Angeles for outfielder Alex Verdugo, infield prospect Jeter Downs, and catching prospect Connor Wong.

The quickfire result of this deal was Betts put together a .292/.366/.562 season in 2020, as he made the All-MLB First Team and finished second in National League MVP voting behind Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman, and helped the Dodgers win their first World Series title in 32 years.

Verdugo was the direct Betts replacement from this deal, and he performed very well considering the pressure that was on him from the trade. Over the 53 games he played, which saw him cover both the left and right field spots for the Sox, he hit .308 from the plate, recording 16 doubles. He was a plus defensive player, and flourished under the pressure, as he showed great hustle play after great hustle play for his team.

Downs is the headlining prospect the Sox got from the trade, he’s ranked 49th overall on MLB’s Top 100 ranked prospects for the 2021 season. At just 22, he has plenty of time to develop in the minors before making a mark for this ballclub. He has been invited to the Sox’s 75-man spring training roster, which will be an opportunity for him to show his talents.

Wong also received an invite and will have a chance to impress within a club that has plenty of need for a new catcher.

Today will bring back gut-wrenching memories for Red Sox fans, but what’s done is done. The Betts deal is now a memory. As a Red Sox fan, you’ve just got to be grateful for the six seasons that he graced the field at Fenway Park. The 2018 season he produced will go down as one of the greatest years that a player has had in the storied history of this organization. He’ll continue to be a great of the game in Los Angeles, and the Red Sox will be great again someday.