John Lepore | February 4th, 2020
News just came down that the long-awaited trade of Mookie Betts has been agreed upon. As per Jeff Passan of ESPN, the deal includes a few other players, cash, and three teams. Let’s break it down.
The Boston Red Sox get:
Alex Verdugo – He showed some power last year with 12 HRs in 377 PAs. He also slashed an impressive .294/.342/.475 in 106 games. He gives the Red Sox a very good upside outfielder with power, some speed, and a very good glove. Verdugo also is under control for the next five years which allows the Sox some salary relief from the $27.5 million Mookie Betts was set to make this season.
Brusdar Graterol – The young flamethrower comes from the Minnesota Twins in this three-team deal. He is intriguing for his upside as he can top 100 mph. He’s been a starter mainly through the minors and had a cup of coffee with the Twins last season throwing just 9.2 innings. The pitcher from Venezuela is still only 21 and has a solid 6’1 265-pound frame. Time will tell if he can develop a third pitch to stay in a major league rotation or if he is destined for a closer role in the future.
The Los Angeles Dodgers get:
Mookie Betts – The 2018 MVP moves to the West Coast and instantly makes the Dodgers favorites to come out of the National League. Still only 27, he has 42.0 rWAR for his career, four consecutive Gold Gloves, and is a career .301/.374/.519 hitter. Betts will surely command one of the highest salaries at the end of the year, but if the Dodgers don’t re-sign him, they can at least make the Qualifying Offer and receive some draft compensation.
David Price – The veteran lefty comes over with three years and $96 million left on his deal. Jon Heyman reported that it was believed that the Sox will pick up about half of that money. Price is a solid addition to the Dodgers’ rotation but has had issues staying healthy the past few years as he’s only started 63 games in his past three seasons. He is effective though when he’s on the mound with a 3.75 ERA, 1.204 WHIP, and over 9.5 Ks/9 in that span.
The Minnesota Twins get:
Kenta Maeda – The Twins get yet another 30-something starter, although Maeda comes with four years left on his deal and is only owed $12.5 million. The 31-year-old will be a versatile piece for the Twins having started 46 games and relieving 30 the past two seasons. This will help as the Twins have starters, Michael Pineda, due back May 10th from suspension, and Rich Hill, due back sometime in June from injury.
Questions and comments?
thescorecrowsports@gmail.com
Follow Us on Twitter @thescorecrow
Follow Us on Reddit at u/TheScorecrow
Follow Us on Facebook at The Scorecrow
Follow Us on Instagram at The Scorecrow
Facebook Group where you can read and post articles at The Scorecrow
Reddit Group where everyone can post without fear of being banned at The Scorecrow
Follow John Lepore on Twitter @jball0202
Main Credit Image: [getty src=”687474952″ width=”594″ height=”396″ tld=”com”]
