The Case For Trading Mookie Betts

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By Donnie Florio

As I’m sure most of you have seen, the Boston Red Sox are actively discussing the possibility of trading Mookie Betts. In what was a slow offseason for the Sox, all of a sudden rumors of Mookie turning down huge contract offers along with ongoing communication between the Red Sox and the Padres and Dodgers front offices have every Boston fan constantly scrolling on twitter to see what is going on with their beloved 2018 MVP. Although a lot is unknown on whether a deal will get done, I have a few thoughts on the situation.

The Red Sox have had a rough offseason to say the least. It’s crazy to think that just a couple months ago the Sox hired Chaim Bloom, from Tampa Bay, to take over Boston’s front office after the ball club fired Dave Dombrowski. Chaim is believed to be a rising star in the baseball world, and Red Sox Nation was ecstatic to get a young and talented General Manager that was hungry to show the world that he could build his own contender. Unfortunately for many Sox fans, with the payroll slashing decisions made by Boston’s ownership and the shocking release of manager Alex Cora after the whole Astros cheating fiasco, Bloom has had his work cut out for him. Bloom was not only tasked to rebuild this franchise’s farm system and Major League club, but to also deal with all of these obstacles that have appeared this offseason.

Boston’s desire to get under the luxury tax threshold has left Bloom with his toughest decision yet. What do the Red Sox do with Mookie Betts? Does he move on from Betts, a fan favorite, to cut payroll? Can he acquire enough talent to even think about trading him? Should he extend Mookie and keep him in Fenway for years to come? While Chaim Bloom sorts all of these options out, I thought I would give my opinion on the situation.

Obviously Mookie Betts is a superstar and I love watching him take the field on a daily basis. Whether he’s using his glove, legs, or bat, Mookie often finds himself adding to his highlight reel. Betts is a player that most General Managers salivate over. He is a 5- tool player that can be the cornerstone of a franchise for years to come. On top of his impressive stat line on the back of his baseball cards, seeing Mookie get an extension in Boston seems like a no-brainer for most fans. However, I am not most fans and I believe it’s time to move Betts sooner rather than later.

Even though Mookie is a once in a generation kind of talent, his upcoming free agency along with his desire to test the free agent market for record setting money is a problem for the Red Sox. Mookie has earned the right to chase as much money as he can, but the Red Sox need to get some kind of return for him considering the situation. Luckily for the Sox, it’s been reported that at least the Dodgers and the Padres are both interested in acquiring Betts. Both teams have a boatload of prospects and can definitely get a deal done. If either of these teams offers a enticing package for Betts, or even agree to take another contract along with Mookie’s, such as David Price, the Sox should jump all over it.

The Red Sox also have a very weak farm system after giving up numerous players for Chris Sale back in 2017. Many of the Red Sox top prospects of the past are also big leaguers now. Since Devers and Chavis were promoted, the Sox have seen their prospect pool dip to the bottom of the competition. The Red Sox also haven’t seen a true homegrown pitcher come from their system since Jon Lester and Clay Bucholz. Obviously winning a World Series just two years ago softens that blow, but the Red Sox need to rebuild their farm system and Mookie is just the piece to do that with.

Another reason I believe Betts should be moved is because I truly believe paying a position player over $300 million is ridiculous. Just look at almost every big contract in MLB history. I think of guys like Alex Rodriguez, Giancarlo Stanton, Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and Mike Trout just in recent memory.

ARod didn’t even finish out his contract and was basically forced to retire by the Yankees. That on top of his one-year suspension proved to be enough to consider this deal a bust. Giancarlo Stanton became the first player to get $300 million guaranteed, and since then he has lost his MVP form and has become a typical all or nothing hitter that the Yankees are stuck with for the foreseeable future.

Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton both signed with the Angels once they hit the market. Both players went to Anaheim and the Angels soon realized that they spent a ridiculous amount of money on two players who were past their prime. Bryce Harper and Manny Machado signed mega deals last off-season and neither player elevated their new team enough to make the playoffs. Obviously these contracts still have time to play out, so these will have to be monitored over the next couple of years. Finally there is Mike Trout who is undoubtedly the best player in Major League Baseball. If anyone deserves to get paid it's this guy, but with the Angels awarded Trout with over $400 million dollars and have still yet to make the playoffs with him on the roster. Yes, the Angels just signed Anthony Rendon to hopefully help, but I don’t see them going anywhere without any pitching. Considering all the money they put into just two players, I do not see much help coming in the near future either.

I’m not necessarily blaming all these players for their teams struggles. All I’m saying is that if these players weren’t a bust then their team just doesn’t have the money to put any other additional pieces around them. No player has won a World Series single-handedly, and it doesn’t appear that trend is going to change.

The Red Sox should avoid falling into this trap with Mookie Betts. Yes signing Mookie to an extension would be a popular move, but it would have a negative impact on the foreseeable future. If Betts gets Mike Trout kind of money, we will most likely see players like Devers, Benintendi, and Eduardo Rodriguez leave once they hit the open market due to Boston’s inflated payroll. Along with that, who knows what free agent opportunities the Sox will also miss out on in the upcoming years. The Red Sox should follow in the footsteps of the Chicago White Sox. Last year the White Sox tried to sign Manny Machado to crazy money. It turns out missing out on the star 3rd basemen is the best thing that could of happened to them. The money that could have been spent on Machado turned into additions such as Yasmani Grandal, Dallas Kuechel, Jose Abreu (resigned), Eloy Jimenez (extended), and Edwin Encarnacion. These guys are also being paired up with a young core of players such as Michael Kopech, Yoan Moncada, and Lucas Gioloto. These are just some of the players that were acquired through trades in the past couple of years. The White Sox have yet to showcase this team on the field, but the hype around this ball club is real going into the 2020 season.

So in conclusion, the Boston Red Sox could opt to pay Mookie Betts, but trading him would open a whole bunch of avenues for Chaim Bloom. I'm sure Bloom would like to slash payroll to start fresh anyway. His bright mind along with flexibility would really allow him to start building a serious powerhouse. In an event of a Mookie Betts trade the Red Sox would slash their payroll, bring in a new pool of prospects, and put themselves in a prime position for free agency in the coming years.

Yes I will miss watching Mookie dazzle in a Sox uniform, but that’s just the business of staying competitive in the MLB. The initial pain of seeing Mookie in another uniform will surely break the hearts of thousands of Red Sox fans. But in the end, it will allow for future Red Sox teams to compete consistently for years to come.