Jake Dicker
Andrew Friedman, you are incredible. After a long week of excitement, anticipation, disappointment, and confusion, the Dodgers have officially acquired 4x All Star and 2018 AL MVP outfielder Mookie Betts and 5x All Star and 2012 AL Cy Young David Price from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Alex Verdugo, Jeter Downs, and Connor Wong. The Red Sox also sent over $48 million to pay off David Price’s contract.
The completed deal is not the deal that was originally agreed on. On February 4th, Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that the Dodgers, Red Sox, and Twins had agreed to a 3 team trade sending Betts, Price, and cash to LA, Verdugo and Twins top pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol to Boston, and Kenta Maeda to Minnesota. Also reported was Joc Pederson and a “major league starting pitcher” would be heading to the Angels for infielder Luis Rengifo and two lower level prospects. This move was going to be made to clear salary and get below the luxury tax threshold. Very quickly, it was evident that Ross Stripling was the unnamed “major league starting pitcher” that would be heading to Anaheim. Essentially, the Dodgers had just traded Joc Pederson, Ross Stripling, Kenta Maeda, and Alex Verdugo for Mookie Betts and David Price. Somehow, Andrew Friedman had acquired a top 5, arguably top 3 player in baseball without touching his farm system. The city of Los Angeles was going nuts. After a long, frustrating offseason of missing out on free agents such as Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rendon, and trade targets such as Francisco Lindor, the Dodgers finally got their guy.
It was reported on February 5th that the trade had been held up due to the medical report of Twins prospect Brusdar Graterol. Boston was concerned about the 21 year old’s arm, and felt the risk he presented was too much to move forward with the deal. The Dodgers and Red Sox were motivated to get a deal done, but it now had to be restructured. Days of silence followed, and Dodger fans began to worry, as did Angels owner Artie Moreno. Because the Dodgers’ deal with Anaheim was made due to the Betts/Price trade, it would not be finalized until the big deal was made official. Moreno became increasingly frustrated with the Dodgers, and eventually pulled his offer off the table. The Dodgers would be holding onto Joc and Stripling (at least for the time being).
Ultimately, on February 9th, Passan reported the teams had reached an agreement on a new deal, sending Dodgers #5 prospect Jeter Downs to the Red Sox, along with Alex Verdugo in exchange for Betts, Price, and $48 million. The Dodgers and Twins agreed on a separate deal, sending Maeda, lower level prospect Jair Camargo, and $10 million to the Twins for Brusdar Graterol, prospect Luke Raley (who the Dodgers sent to Minnesota in the 2018 Brian Dozier trade), and the 67th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft.
This new trade with Boston hit the Dodgers’ farm system a bit harder, but the acquisition of Graterol may serve them better in the future. Graterol throws a 100 mph sinker, and is only 21 years old. He is continuously developing and could turn into a very solid reliever, or potentially a starter for the Dodgers. Jeter Downs, as good as he is, may have had trouble breaking into the crowded Dodger infield. Graterol has replaced Downs as the #5 prospect in the organization, behind Gavin Lux, Dustin May, Keibert Ruiz, and Josiah Gray.
The big news here is Mookie Betts, and the Dodgers attempt to win a World Series in 2020. Betts will hit the open market as a free agent this winter, and there is a very real possibility that he only plays one season in Dodger blue. The Dodgers will attempt to resign him, but there is no guarantee. Betts is one of the top players in today’s game, and makes the Dodger lineup very scary for opposing pitchers. Assuming everyone is healthy (which is a large assumption), the Opening Day lineup will look something like:
Betts
Muncy
Turner
Bellinger
Pollock
Seager
Smith
Lux
Pitcher
That is INSANE. I could spend 300 words telling you just how good Mookie Betts really is, but if you haven’t been living under a rock for the last 5 years, you know how talented he is. In his 2018 MVP campaign, Betts hit .346 with 32 home runs, 30 stolen bases, and an OPS of 1.078. In a “down year” last year, Mookie hit .295 with 29 home runs and a .915 OPS. Betts will be the first true leadoff hitter the Dodgers have had since Rafael Furcal was at the top of their lineup. In addition to his bat, Betts plays some of the best outfield in baseball. He is a 4 time Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner, and has been named the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year twice. Today, Friedman referred to Mookie as the “best player [he’s] ever traded for and probably the best player [he] ever will trade for”.
Overshadowed in this trade is the addition of David Price, who is under contract for three seasons with the Dodgers. When the Red Sox signed David Price to a 7 year/$217 million contact in 2016, the expectations were simply unrealistic. He has battled injuries, and has not been the dominate ace he was expected to be, but has put together the body of work of a solid #3 starter, which is what he will be in the Dodger rotation. In 4 years in Boston, his ERA has fluctuated between 3.38 (2017) and 4.28 (2019). His 2019 was injury ridden, his inflated numbers should not be much of a concern. The Dodgers tend to give starters plenty of rest, and not overwork guys, which will favor Price. If he can put together a season where he starts 25 games, that is a big win for the Dodgers.
Betts will wear #50 and Price will wear #33. The Dodgers are set to introduce both Betts and Price in a press conference in Los Angeles tomorrow at 1:00 PST.
Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training on Thursday.
