The baseball hot stove has been a bit cold over the past month, but it could instantly heat back up if we’re to believe rumors of a potential blockbuster trade. On Thursday night, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reported that the Red Sox and Padres were discussing a deal for former MVP Mookie Betts.
While the initial report indicated that a package could revolve around Wil Myers and a handful of prospects, we’ve since heard that a stumbling block was Boston’s unwillingness to eat the majority of Myers’ contract. This isn’t entirely surprising, as part of the Red Sox motivation for potentially dealing Mookie revolves around their financial constraints.
However, since we’re all in need for some spicy trade rumors, let’s explore what a Mookie trade would mean for both teams.
Padres Impact
San Diego has continually been looking to legitimize themselves in the National League West, with the front office spending big money on Manny Machado and Eric Hosmer. Despite their 2019 offseason haul, the Padres proceeded to finish with an underwhelming 70-92 record. That performance has naturally added some urgency to the front office, and a Mookie trade would surely improve their chances of making the playoffs.
However, how much of an impact would this trade really make? The Padres weren’t necessarily lacking for offense last season, although they could certainly use a batter with Betts’ OBP and base-stealing prowess. While the team’s real need is at starting pitcher, the report indicated that they wouldn’t have to forfeit any of their top-five prospects in a trade with Boston. If the organization decided to use resources on their rotation, they could still make that happen (plus, there are continuing whispers that the Sox are looking to pair Mookie with starter David Price in a potential deal).
Even with a Mookie trade, the Padres will continue to look up at the Dodgers in the standings, but the rest of their NL West rivals have equal or inferior odds to win the World Series. San Diego is currently at 40/1 odds, and increased motivation to go “all-in” could see them making a play for the crown later in the season. We’d capitalize on these odds right now.
Red Sox Impact
A Mookie trade would be the real signal that the organization is embracing a pseudo-rebuild. While a Betts trade is somewhat routed in logic (Mookie’s impending free agency, the team’s financial limitations, the need to restock a barren farm system), there’s no denying that a trade would hurt both short-term and long-term.
Considering the uncertainty of a trade, no one should be opting into 25/1 odds to win the championship. However, a Mookie trade means that those odds would inevitably change, in which case Boston could be a sneaky choice to win it all. After all, the Red Sox still have the makings of a solid offense without Mookie, and much of their success would also hang on their pitching performance. In the hypothetical world where Boston emerges as a World Series contender, we don’t think Mookie Betts is the reason why they’ve overachieved. Rather, it’s going to come down to an unexpected performance from Chris Sale and the rest of their rotation, and the likes of J.D. Martinez, Xander Bogaerts, and Rafael Devers could more than make up for Mookie’s absence.
