On today’s episode of As the Mookie Turns, industry insiders weigh in on Betts to Los Angeles trade talk. Now, long-time baseball pundit Peter Gammons spoke on what appears to be the standing trade offer from the Dodgers for Betts.
Three different NL folks today predicted Betts-to-L.A. is "inevitable." Consensus deal:Alex Verdugo, Inf Jeter Downs, pitcher, maybe A prospect. Think P is LH Caleb Ferguson, 95 MPH FB/CB guy, 113-39 K-BB in 93.1 IP, eventual starter. Got brushed off Gray
— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) February 2, 2020
Right off the bat, Dodgers people will likely say “that’s too much!” And perhaps that’s an accurate take. Alex Verdugo, of course, was long considered a top prospect in baseball, and showed his wares in 2019, before back issues sidelined him in August.
Shortstop Jeter Downs is a consensus top-100 MLB prospect heading into the 2020 season; sitting at 87 on the MLB Pipeline top-100 list just last week.
Caleb Ferguson found success as a rookie with LA in 2018 but struggled in his sophomore season. Still, he’s only 23 and likely has more upside in a starting role anywhere but Los Angeles. While he was never heralded as a can’t miss prospect, he still has potential to be a big leaguer with plus stuff.
So Gammons’ “consensus deal” has a 3-for-1 trade in the works — two top-prospects (one already a quality big leaguer) and a mid-range pitcher — for 2018 AL MVP Mookie Betts. As a reminder, Betts is set to become a free agent after the 2020 season, giving Los Angeles natives pause when pulling the trigger on a deal of this magnitude.
Moreover, this deal was quickly contested by Boston-based WEEI radio host Rob Bradford who took the “sources” approach in saying it isn’t realistic at this time.
Two sources familiar with the Betts negotiations say the 'consensus deal' isn't realistic at this time https://t.co/51VKvRXCcy
— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) February 2, 2020
One thing the industry seems to agree on at the moment is that a move will more than likely happen, possibly before spring training, but no one seems close on potential trade packages at this time.
NEXT: Betts Trades Likely Centered Around Verdugo, Not Lux
