Heading into the 2019 season, the Boston Red Sox were expected to be the favorites to win the American League East and make a deep run in the playoffs. Even though the team looked amazing on paper, on the field, it has been a mess. On August 9th, a report came out about the team exploring trade offers for All-Star Mookie Betts.
In 122 games, Betts has hit 20 home runs, 63 RBI, and has posted a .281 batting average. After the season he had last year, the Red Sox were hoping that Betts could replicate the success he had previously.
Despite having a down year in comparison to last season, Betts is still one of the best defensive outfielders in the league as well.
In 2018, Betts won the American League MVP to go alongside his World Series trophy. He finished with 32 home runs, 80 RBI, and finished with a .640 slugging percentage; leading the majors through 136 games. Defensively, Betts also led the league for fielding percentage among right fielders with .996.
With the amount of money that superstar players like Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, and Manny Machado are getting, Betts will be looking to get paid a similar figure. The market is around $200-300M currently.
Despite the flaws, Betts has amazing upside. Losing a talent like him would be hard to replace for Boston.
If the Red Sox move forward with trading Betts somehow, they are in position to acquire several top-end prospects. However, it’s unsure on whether any of those prospects will pan out.
Teams in the hunt for him include the San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, and Minnesota Twins.
Photo Credit: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
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