Dodgers: Mookie Betts Trade Rumors Have Substance, Says NESN Anchor
The Dodgers have yet to make their big splash in free agency or in the trade market this winter, but it seems as if Andrew Friedman is getting poised to strike. The Dodgers have been reportedly involved in a number of marquee talents’ markets like those of Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor, Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant, and Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado. The one with the most substance potentially is the market of Red Sox stud outfielder Mookie Betts.
In a recent radio segment on 101.3 The Game, the Red Sox and Dodgers rumors surrounding Mookie Betts were discussed and accredited.
Mookie Betts to LA
101.3 The Game, a Boston area radio station, discussed the rumors with Tom Caron of NESN. When Caron was asked if there was substance he responded favorably:
“The Betts thing is real. The Dodgers are talking about Betts.”
Red Sox Perspective, Joc Pederson to Boston?
In addition, Caron discussed the likelihood that the Red Sox eventually decide to attach David Price’s sizable contract alongside Mookie Betts in an effort by Red Sox owner John Henry to shed payroll:
“The question becomes: can you get them to take both [Betts and Price]? Looking at it just from a salary perspective, now you’re talking about taking $50 million off of your payroll. It could be something where [Chaim] Bloom can actually add a couple pieces before the end of the year. Joc Pederson is being talked about as a possible name to come back in a deal.”
Overall
The Dodgers will remain in the mix for the services of Mookie Betts in the coming weeks and it seems as if the Dodgers are one of the likeliest teams to acquire him should the Boston Red Sox decide to move him. While a deal remains somewhat of a long-shot when considering Boston’s position, there is a chance.
NEXT: Dodgers Don’t Want To Involve Gavin Lux In Any Trade
It’s interesting. Price’s contract is so ugly per trade simulators that his trade value (-60) wipes out Betts’s trade value (+50) completely. Boston’s position is so bad they’d need to send some money as well to get someone like Pederson in return. Much as I’d like to see it because LA can absorbed 3 years of Price’s ugly money for a year of Betts, Boston will never be able to sell it to their fans. The consequences of out-of-control spending with luxury tax constraints and depleting your farm for one title. Many fans don’t quite grasp this.
You have the right take on this. Betts is the prize. Price is the price you pay. The Dodgers do need a starter but I agree that you don’t give up much for the Price salary dump, and Pederson would be a logical swap to make room in the outfield. I would love to see Betts and Bellinger locking up center and right field, with a platoon in left field. Would also like to see Betts leading off in the order.
I think if you ask any Red Sox fan if they would take 2 World series titles in 14 years, and it takes them a few years to dump and rebuild, or 33 years of financial constraint and ” good contracts” they’ d overwhelmingly take the titles. The long curse of the bambino is what finally made the Sox get a mngt team that would go all out!
Well we could argue about 33 years of financial constraint – Kemp and Kershaw as examples – but I get your point. But the thing is the Dodgers – in my opinion – were a Joe Kelly drilling of Hanley in ’13 and a Jansen pitch in ’17 away from claiming 2 titles in last 7 years. Baseball’s funny and usually you need the bad hop Washington benefited from against the Brewers to win it. I’d rather take my chances being in the playoffs every year than gamble on an all in toss.
Totally agree with your last sentence. No need to sell the farm and spend all your cash on a chance of winning it all for one season. There’s no way to predict this signing or this trade is going to bring a championship.
And Boston really cannot expect that much of a prospect haul in return because Betts has 1 year of control before he goes FA and he will test the market which most likely means Betts would be one and done as far as being with Dodgers.
Funny cause an all in toss might have landed LA a title. Instead of popetually being runner up.
their reluctance to do what it takes to go all in Grinke instead of Darvish. Ect. would have been the difference in 2017 and maybe beyond.
Instead Astros went all in got Verlander and here the Dodgers are 2ed once again.
FO just settling for rentals and watching teams who went all in celebrating on your field while the Dodger players hit the showers and wondering what might have been.
Betts if the Dodgers don’t give up too much could work but the Front office has shown that they are not able to get any deals done.
They should have landed FA and then looked for trades from a position of strength having a surplus right now they need r handed bats, a starting pitcher worthy of a one two punch and a high leverage pitcher. they will give up the Dodgers future in order to fill the gap or my bet is stand pat lie to their fans and say we like where we are with our players right now.
Key word is “might” have landed a title. Let’s say the FO office goes all in this year and doesn’t win the championship. Then all the fans are crying because we have no farm, payroll is maxed out, and don’t make the post season for the next 5 years. Was it worth it? We can throw hypothetical situations (past or present) out all day. FO has been putting a team out there that is getting to the post season. Can’t control what happens after that. I agree with you on what the FO should be going after, but as of now, they haven’t. I think if Urias, May, or Gonslin step it up this year, that could be a difference maker for the team. Our young core players have another season under their belts, this could be the year!
I saw on mlb tonight last night a trade that should work for both teams if they could pull it off. Dodgers get Betts and Price and 30 mill in cash. Boston gets Pollack and Strippling, plus Sheffield and another mid level prospect. It keeps both teams under the cap, boston replaces both players, and the dodgers get their star without giving up the prospect bank
FireDaveRoberts
Rubbish man
your saying that at the trade deadline 2019 or even the offseason 2018 when every dodger fan was waiting for the front door to sign a few arms to bolster the bullpen and when (just like last off season) the trade deadline came and went and they did nothing. Then they started we like what we have in this team.
When we all new that was our teams weakness.
How did we exit the layoffs again. Humm couldn’t hold the lead in a decisive game.
The narrative Then and Now is WHY DIDN’T THE FRONT OFFICE strengthen our bull pen going into the playoffs??
This isn’t a hypothetical question it was a fact. You don’t need to have a Crystal ball here to know what your strengths and weaknesses are.
Respectfully, Washington won in ’19 with the worst bullpen in the majors, Houston covered its pen in ’17 with starters Morton and Peacock, and even Boston in ’18 used Sale, Price and Eovaldi in high leverage. Doc had both Maeda and Jansen in game 5 but chose Kershaw and Kelly; still mind boggling. Friedman went hard for the best solution at the ’19 trade deadline offering the overpay of Ruiz and Grey for Vasquez but Pittsburgh ridiculously held out for Lux (don’t they all and what does that tell us?) Afterward he immediately called up his best minor league power arms – May and Gonsolin – as backup. Prior to the season, he signed (and overpaid) Kelly to address the issue. Now we can call him out for his judgement but not his intention. Morrow worked out, Koehler and Kelly didn’t. Let’s see what Treinen and hopefully Betances can bring.
I think Fire Dave Robert’s is using some of that Dave Roberts mentality. Let’s not fix our high leverage pitcher Situations. let’s keep mixing and matching un-proven pitchers May, or Gonslin. Instead of adding a Free agent and keeping those arms in rolls there more comfortable with.