Los Angeles Dodgers have reportedly acquired Mookie Betts and David Price in a blockbuster MLB trade with the Boston Red Sox.
The Red Sox are reported to have traded 2018 American League MVP and World Series champion Betts after failing to agree to a long-term deal with him. He has been a free agent since the beginning of 2020
According to ESPN and The Athletic, the trade, which also involved the Minnesota Twins, will see outfielder Alex Verdugo head to the Red Sox.
The Dodgers, meantime, will send starter Kenta Maeda to the Twins. They are also trading pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol to Boston.
ESPN reports that the Dodgers as have also traded outfielder and soon-to-be free agent Joc Pederson for Los Angeles infielder Luis Rengifo.
Betts is a huge capture
Betts, a 34-year-old right fielder, is a huge capture. He’s a four-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove Award winner and three-time Silver Slugger.
In 2018 he became the first player in Major League Baseball history to win all these awards and the World Series in the same season.
And he’s still in great form. This past season he tallied 29 home runs, 135 runs in total and made 176 hits after 597 at-bats. His RBI last season was 80.
A natural sportsman, Betts is also a professional tenpin bowler. He has bowled a perfect game in a World Series of Bowling contest.
Price, a World Series champion and 2012 AL CY Young Award winner, is also a pretty valuable acquisition. He posted 128 strikeouts and had a 4.28 ERA for the Red Sox in 2019.
Financial reasons were behind the trades
The Red Sox have have endured a turbulent offseason following the departure of manager Alex Cora amid allegations of sign stealing. It was with great reluctance that they let Betts and Price go.
They had no option it is understood. It seems they are looking to shed their wage bill and move below the $208 million luxury-tax threshold.
Boston failed to defend their national title in 2019 after missing out on the playoffs, while the Dodgers lost to eventual champions Washington Nationals in the National League Division Series (NLDS).
LA fans are likely to be champing at the bit to see how the LA Dodgers go in the upcoming MLB season now that they have Betts and Price in their camp.