Mookie Betts. MVP. Huge smile. Dynamic. Could he be headed to Los Angeles? There is a real shot, according to multiple sources around the league.
Betts is set to be a free agent at the conclusion of the 2020 season and the Boston Red Sox are said to be interested in cutting payroll this season. The Dodgers definitely have the assets to be able to pull a trade of this caliber off, but will they? There appears to be some semblance of a chance.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic proposed a Dodgers-Red Sox deal for Betts and it is pretty outlandish.
If #RedSox actually trade Mookie Betts this winter…here are the three most likely landing spots and what the trade return would look like:https://t.co/suBRSu3OMo
— Jim Bowden (@JimBowdenGM) November 13, 2019
Bowden’s Proposal
In Bowden’s proposed deal, the Dodgers would be giving up three top prospects in catcher Keibert Ruiz, middle infielder Jeter Downs, and right-handed starting pitcher Josiah Gray for the services of Mookie Betts. For a rental, this is pretty steep. The Dodgers could probably secure Betts with one of those prospects plus middle-tier pieces — not three top-ten organizational prospects.
In comparison, his proposed deal for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Red Sox included zero top prospects. Weird.
Bowden’s POV
Here is the excerpt from the column that specifically pertains to the Dodgers:
Let’s start with the fact that the Dodgers will probably say that middle infielder Gavin Lux and pitchers Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin are all off-limits for a rental. They would likely consider offering a package centered around top catching prospect Keibert Ruiz (they already have a good young catcher in Will Smith), middle infielder Jeter Downs, whom they acquired in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds a few years ago, and right-handed pitcher Josiah Gray. A package like that would be somewhat similar to what the Cardinals gave up for Goldschmidt last offseason.
As expected, Gavin Lux, Dustin May, and Tony Gonsolin are extremely likely to stick with the team in 2020 considering how much the organization values them. When looking at the package that the Diamondbacks received for star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, it pales in comparison to the Dodgers proposal from Bowden.
Overall
This was an interesting proposal but one along the lines of this is more in line.
