The Mookie Betts saga has reached its conclusion, and the result is a stunning three-team blockbuster that’ll massively alter the fortunes of all three clubs. The Dodgers are reportedly set to acquire Betts, David Price and significant cash considerations in a deal that will sent young outfielder Alex Verdugo to Boston and right-hander Kenta Maeda to the Twins. Minnesota, meanwhile, will send flamethrowing young righty Brusdar Graterol to the Red Sox to complete the swap.
In making this move, Boston bids adieu to one of its most popular and productive players of the current generation. Betts, the 2018 AL MVP and a career .301/.374/.519 hitter, has cemented himself as one of baseball’s truly elite talents. However, he has also candidly stated time and time again that he intends to test the open market as a free agent.
That lack of interest in an extension left the recently restructured Red Sox front office to weigh trading him for controllable talent now versus simply netting a draft pick in the event that he rejects a qualifying offer and signs elsewhere next winter. The prospect of losing him for that level of minimal return, coupled with ownership’s clear goal of dipping south of the $208MM luxury tax barrier, ultimately led rookie chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom to orchestrate tonight’s mega-deal.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, will land perhaps the greatest consolation prize in history. After missing out on top target Gerrit Cole earlier this winter, they’ve now acquired one of the game’s best all-around players, Betts, in addition to a high-profile starter who can still contribute to their rotation — even if his halcyon days are in the past.
Betts, still only 27, now joins an outfield that’ll feature Cody Bellinger and A.J. Pollock, with the versatile Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernandez playing complementary roles as well. While Betts didn’t quite replicate his 2018 MVP production in 2019, his .295/.391/.524 slash was still elite by measure of both wRC+ and OPS+ (both 135). He’s now been at least 35 percent better than an average hitter in three of the past four seasons by those same measures.
The bat alone would make Betts a coveted player, but he’s also among baseball’s best baserunners and an all-world defender in the outfield. Betts has won a Gold Glove in each of the past four seasons, and his 98 Defensive Runs Saved in that time lead all Major League players, regardless of position, by a whopping 13 runs. His aversion to signing a long-term deal means he has to be viewed as a pure rental player, but if you’re going to rent any player on the planet, renting one whose 30.7 fWAR over the past four seasons trails only Mike Trout for the MLB lead is certainly a good way to go. Betts will earn a $27MM salary after avoiding arbitration for the final time this winter — a record salary for an arb-eligible player.
At 34 years old, Price probably won’t be winning any more Cy Young Awards in his career, but this past season’s 4.28 ERA, 10.7 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, 1.26 HR/9 and 41 percent grounder rate were all quite sound. That ERA undersells the season that Price had, too; he was plagued by a career-worst .336 average on balls in play, and fielding-independent metrics were more bullish on his efforts (3.62 FIP, 3.73 xFIP, 3.85 SIERA).
In fact, Price carried a terrific 3.16 ERA and 3.00 FIP through his first 17 starts and 88 1/3 innings with the Red Sox in 2019. Things began to go south in July as he tried to pitch through a cyst in his left wrist, and he eventually went on the injured list for more than a month while dealing with the issue. He returned in early September but made only one appearance before being shut down and undergoing surgery to alleviate the issue. Price is still owed $96MM under the then-record $217MM contract he signed prior to the 2016 season, but the Red Sox will pay a substantial portion of that sum to lessen the sting for the Dodgers.
Acquiring Betts and Price will cost Los Angeles a hefty five years of control over Verdugo and four more years of the talented Maeda, and there’s another major ripple effect, as the Dodgers have reportedly struck a separate trade sending outfielder Joc Pederson to the Angels in exchange for young infielder Luis Rengifo. Between the cash the Red Sox are sending to cover some of Price’s contract, the subtraction of Maeda and now the subtraction of Pederson’s final arbitration salary, it seems likely that the Dodgers will have managed to stay beneath the luxury tax threshold.
Not to be lost in the shuffle, the Twins are adding a quality arm to a rotation that looked to be in need of augmentation. In Maeda, they land an accomplished 31-year-old starter (32 in April) who prefers to work out of the rotation but was frequently moved to the bullpen for short stints — perhaps in part due to the massive incentives package in his eight-year contract.
Whether the Dodgers deliberately manipulated Maeda’s rotation work to suppress his earnings can’t be known, but his deal contains only a $3MM annual base with a whopping $10MM in annual bonuses based on games started and innings pitched. With the Twins, he’ll all but certainly be viewed as a rotation piece and be given every opportunity to max out those additional payments. Maeda is signed through the 2023 season, and his contract calls for a $1MM assignment bonus in the event of a trade, so he can tack that onto his career earnings.
In 589 career innings, Maeda has a 3.87 ERA with 9.8 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, 1.18 HR/9 and a 40.9 percent ground-ball rate. That he’s more of a fly-ball pitcher bodes well for his fortunes in Minnesota, as the Twins have significant questions about their middle-infield defense but a high-quality group of outfield defenders led by Byron Buxton and Max Kepler. Maeda has racked up 32 2/3 career postseason innings as well, pitching to a 3.31 ERA in that time. He might not be the ace Twins fans hoped to net early this winter, but he’ll bump one of two rookies — southpaw Devin Smeltzer or right-hander Randy Dobnak — from the rotation and provide a clear boost.
In 2020, Maeda will step into a rotation that’ll be fronted by Jose Berrios and Jake Odorizzi. The Twins also re-signed Michael Pineda to a two-year contract earlier this winter, but he’ll be out through mid-May as he serves a reduced 60-game suspension for taking a banned substance. Veteran Homer Bailey will also be a part of the Twins’ starting staff after signing a one-year pact on the heels of a healthy season, and Maeda will eventually be reunited with former Dodgers teammate Rich Hill. The veteran southpaw inked a one-year deal this winter but will be out until the summer as he recovers from primary revision surgery.
Looking beyond the 2020 campaign, Maeda is all the more important for the Twins. Odorizzi, Bailey and Hill are all slated to become free agents next winter, so prior to this trade, Berrios and Pineda were the only proven starters Minnesota controlled beyond the upcoming campaign. Maeda gives them a solid mid-rotation presence to help anchor the staff and does so at an affordable rate that’ll allow the Twins to continue to be aggressive in free agency next year if they choose to double down on this winter’s surprising Josh Donaldson splash.
As for the Red Sox, today is presumably one of the most difficult days in franchise history for a number of the team’s longest-tenured executives. Luxury tax aside, Sox ownership recognizes that trading Betts will be a wildly unpopular move. John Henry and Co. surely didn’t think they’d be in this position just 16 months ago when celebrating a World Series victory, but injuries and some ill-fated expenditures brought about a mediocre 2019 season and a slew of tough choices. It’s easy to argue that a team with such considerable financial resources at its disposal should simply have kept Betts and paid up for him, but even their detractors can agree that there’s likely little joy in trading away a generational player.
The 2020 Red Sox are unquestionably worse having made this move, but they were a long shot to topple the Yankees anyhow and now acquire a pair of potential building blocks. The 23-year-old Verdugo is a longtime top prospect who enjoyed a strong 2019 season and will step right into the void left by Betts. He’s fresh off a .294/.342/.475 slash with a dozen home runs, 22 doubles and two triples in 377 plate appearances with Los Angeles and should see his playing time soar to full-time levels in 2020 and beyond.
Verdugo has excellent bat-to-ball skills and rarely strikes out (13.7 percent in his career). And while he’s no Betts with the glove — no one is — he racked up 13 DRS in 2019 and is capable of handling all three outfield positions. He’s the Red Sox’ right fielder of the future, and unlike many young players who are acquired for stars, that future will start right away; Verdugo should be in the Opening Day lineup and give Sox fans an immediate look at his potential.
The 21-year-old Graterol is less certain to open the year with the Sox, but he’s an electric and exciting talent — albeit one with more volatility than Verdugo. Injuries have plagued Graterol throughout his minor league career — he’s already undergone Tommy John surgery and has battled shoulder troubles, too — but pitchers with his type of velocity and upside are rare. The massive 6’1″, 255-pounder boasts a fastball that sits just under 100 mph and can reach as high as 103 mph, and he’s utterly dominated in the minors when healthy.
Graterol owns a career 2.48 ERA with 9.7 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9 in 214 minor league frames, and he skyrocketed across multiple levels to make his MLB debut in 2019. There’s some concern that his future is in the bullpen, but the Red Sox will likely give him every opportunity to prove that he can be a difference-maker in their rotation.
Graterol was a consensus Top 100 prospect a year ago and remains on those oft-cited rankings. Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs has already moved Graterol to the top of Boston’s prospect rankings, noting the big righty’s potential to either function as a high-end starter or, if he moves to the ’pen, an elite reliever.
Although there are myriad high-profile players whose name will still be bandied about the trade market, there’s a chance that the Betts/Price/Maeda blockbuster will serve as the finishing touch on what has been a riveting offseason — on that hearkened back to the pre-labor-tension days that seem far longer ago than just two or three years. And in some respects, it’s merely an interesting prelude to a 2020-21 offseason that will quite likely see Betts set out into the free-agent market in search of the largest contract in MLB history. Trades of this magnitude are of the utmost rarity — and virtually unprecedented this time of year — and there’s a good chance that come October we’ll look back at Feb. 4 as a day that majorly impacted multiple division races and postseason outcomes.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported (via Twitter) that a deal was in place after MLB Network’s Jon Heyman and the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier reported that talks had become “advanced.” Speier reported the inclusion of a third team (Twitter link). SKOR North Radio’s Darren Wolfson first suggested the Twins’ potential involvement (Twitter link), and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweeted that the Twins were indeed the third team. Rosenthal reported the basic framework of the deal, tweeting that Betts and Price would head to L.A., Maeda would go to Minnesota and that Verdugo and Graterol were headed to Boston.
Well poop….
Verdugo over Mookie all day
Uhh what?
5-6ish years of Verdugo is more valuable than 1 year of Betts if they don’t think they can resign him
How can you say that the guy has only played 1 full major season so he could turn out to be a bust or a product of the stadium he played in
If he stays healthy.
That’s a weird way to look at a player. Is time left > value
My exact thoughts!! An unproven rookie is better than the AL MVP two years ago…. Give me a BREAK!!
5-6ish is an interesting way of saying 5 lol, Verdugo is a free agent after the 2024 season
Because Betts will be retired by the time the red sox are relevant again.
Totally agree here. And lets remember, its not like this is a hard feeling high drama move like lowballing Lester. They offered serious dough. If the markets not out there at $400+ million, don’t be surprised if the Sox get involved in his free agency as they would have if they held onto him.
To get Verdugo AND Graterol? This should grade out well over the years. But you never know!
Well being that his splits are about the same and it’s dodger stadium I wouldn’t worry about product of home field.
I’m not a Dodgers fan; I didn’t know exactly when he’d be a free agent.
And would LA think that they *couldn’t re-sign him*? Verdugo is a nice player, and I’m not happy about seeing him go, but this was a move that the team needed to make. Betts was the best player in baseball in 2018, and that type of player isn’t available for a modest price too often.
Thats silly… I love Dougie but he is not a known commodity ( w / injury& maturity) vs Betts who is young, known w/the flexibility to resign? No brainer. I am glad no Lux/May in deal
Last known time serious dollar amounts went back and forth was last spring. boston went 10/300m and Betts + his agent countered with 12/420m.
Think about that LA fans. I’ll still call him the 2nd best player in the game with all his assets combined, but does anyone want to go 12y and 35m a year for any ballplayer? Don’t think the Sox FO really had much of a choice in moving him
That is a great question. How do you compare, for example, one year of a 6 WAR player to five years of a 2.5 WAR/yr player? It is possible that given differential win windows, both teams can benefit; i.e., trades like this are not zero sum games.
That’s ignorant to think the sox won’t be relevant. Losing betts isn’t like losing Michael Jordan or LeBron james. Bogaerts and devers are stars. And the sox are replacing betts with a guy that draws comparisons to JD drew (the guy the sox won the world series with in 2007)
B-ball I wouldn’t be surprised if Mookie enjoys n signs in LALA
Sox are looking beyond this season and Mookie made his desires known. To get nothing or less later for him made no sense as much as it hurts. Have they said how much money is involved? Hope this kid from Minnesota is the real deal because I was expecting more in volume back. This though is typical of a Tampa style maneuver getting a young arm out of nowhere so Bloom deserves the benefit at this point.
Was Betts really the MVP or were his numbers “enhanced” under Cora just like Altuve, Bregman etc?
He’s got a bad back & been unable to play baseball since August.
Now let’s see Boston bring back Holt.
He will most likely sign with whoever pays him the most
@2bbige Having the flexibility to re-sign Betts doesn’t make this trade better for LA. It makes it worse.
Gotta wonder if Mookie’s pop will translate to Dodger Stadium, especially if the baseball isn’t last year’s juiced version.
Feel like I need to post this quote from Betts:
boston.cbslocal.com/2019/03/20/red-sox-mookie-bett…
This is hardly the only time he said it either.
Short of someone offering what he feels is his free agent value (he quoted the team he grew up with 12 years and 420 mil), he’s going to free agency. You have to think with a new team, that 12/420 might not even be enough.
Its a great move for the Dodgers, but its an automatic loss for them if they don’t win the WS in 2020. There is a 1-2% chance Betts will decide to change a stance he’s had for years. Looking at this in 2022, the Red Sox will be seen as winners in this deal unless Price finds the fountain of youth or the Dodgers win a World Series.
Also keep in mind, they lost Pederson, who accounts for 3.3 WAR (though he’s heading to free agency after 2020) and Maeda who realistically Price will post similar numbers to and accounted for 1.8 WAR. Verdugo also represented a 3.1 WAR in just over half a season.
This trade is a very risky one for the Dodgers. They are putting a lot of faith in 1-man to be the missing piece. I know this is a very “in a bubble” presentation of the facts and its about what Price and Betts do for the roster as a whole, but no World Series in 2020 could put the Dodgers front office on a hot seat.
Very interesting question?
I think you are spot on
Verdugo over Mookie all day
Well yeah minimum salary vs 30+mil aav for the next 8-10 years after this year.
Don’t forget the Red Sox can reset their tax stuff and just get Mookie back after this season lol.
Any word if where the Red Sox stand now in regards to the CBT after the trade?
That’s not happening. They can’t outbid the Dodgers or Yankees and I doubt Bloom even wants to go in that direction again.
Lol…like what Red Sox fans thought would happen with Jon Lester?
I was thinking good riddance when they dealt him….proved to be the right decision to pass on an extension with him
Spotrac has updated its payroll estimates for Boston post-trade and they put the Red Sox at $191.6 million for tax allocation purposes. That’s including the $16 million retained salary for Price. So they’re under.
spotrac.com/mlb/boston-red-sox/payroll/
Sure, the Yankees can afford him, but why pay that much for someone you don’t need. They have plenty of OFs.
Pendroia, of course they could outbid either team. It’s not like their putting in their last dollar in any specific move but overspending is what got the team in it’s current position. Meanwhile of the three, Boston has four titles in the last 20 years. Was it worth it? Yes in my view. The Yankees will have tough decisions ahead but for now, they’re in win now mode. Dodgers have future financial flexibility but given Mookie’s desire to test free agency, so are they.
After this upcoming season Boston will have roughly 60 million of cap space. A lot of nice free agents available next year.. Should be fun for the next few years..
But only if Mookie says so..
Thanks PinstripedPride!
@pwndroia good thing they got something for him now then
@Sign all the Cubans come on man. The Cubs offered Lester $20m more than the Red Sox did. That’s twenty million dollars. He would have signed with the Cubs even if Boston hadn’t traded him.
By my math (which is imperfect as I don’t have the exact numbers in front of me) they are in the 198-205 mil mark. They can certainly look at adding a back end starter and a bullpen arm before the season if they decide they are serious about competing in 2020.
Lester was much different. He was rightfully sour that the Sox lowballed him in the $60-70 million range and he knew he was worth double that.
Betts the Sox offered around 10/300 a few times already and have been turned down numerous times. That’s not a lowball offer. Lower then what he gets? Probably. But its a good starting point for discussions. When Betts countered at 12/420, this move became inevitable. He forced Boston’s hand. He knows that.
I don’t think he’d have any opposition to joining the Sox and will take the best offer on the market. Speculation, but I think this says more about the Players Association then Betts. Trout resigned (at least at a huge AAV), but they need guys like Harper, Betts and Trout to set new free agency standards as A-Rod and others did before them. The players association strongly discourages taking less then max value, because it impacts the rest of the players around the league. Free agency, though it doesn’t seem it sometimes, is good for baseball, growth and competitive balance.
Psychologists have a term for this kind of idiotic compensation. It’s called Sweet Lemons.
I guess the Dodgers aren’t really that offended by cheaters.
Please stop.
How many arb years does Alex have left? Definitely a lopsided trade
He has one year of service time accrued. He’ll be arbitration eligible in 2022.
If there’s a dead horse to beat, beisbolista will be right there with club in hand!
Dead horse? The report hasn’t even come out yet you imbecile
I overestimated your intellect! I’m sorry I’ll have to spell it out for you!
Anything related to a Houston or Boston player, ***Insert cheater comment from Beisbolista here*****
To be fair, this dead horse probably calls for a lot mor3 beating over a couple of more years to really figure out how MLB and fans should think about what happened. This was generationally epic.
Sox’s didn’t cheat in the WS and playoffs they where watched like hawks at that time
And you know they did not cheat how?
lmaoo
Time to trade Price
Verdugo will be more valuable in the future if Mookie walks, but is he this year?
Do the Dodgers have a better shot with ‘20 Mookie, or ‘21 Verdugo with Turner either a FA or a year older, and Kershaw and Kenley a year older?
Bellingers positional flexibility lets the Dodgers search for a replacement for Betts/Verdugo in ‘21 either in the OF or 1B, much easier positions to find help in.
Dodgers got ripped off
You mean by giving up both Verdugo and Maeda in the 3-team deal? I wouldn’t say getting ripped off, but I suspect with the prospect going from the Twins to Boston, LA will get some money coming back from Boston. Hopeful guessing maybe…
Oh well, there is always next year, or the year after, or the year after,that or perhaps, the year after that or the………….
By whom?
Betts are off.
Nice, good get for Boston
Yeah them boys should finally have what it takes to win it all….Go Astros!
Trashstros. Astros fans are the worst. Especially since they only been around since 2017 and are unethical.
Some of us, myself included, were around before 2017.
Go bang a trashcan
That’s hilarious!!! Awesome!!!
Are you saying ‘Ok Boomer’ literally?
Rangers
Their rotation is full
AJ Pollock? Lol
What is so funny about a fish?
Of what?
WHOAAA
Thanks for bailing out the red sux, LA. Great job listening to all the whining cowards telling you that you needed to “go for it”.
I appreciate your unbiased insight thank you for stopping by this evening
Dodgers wanted to block him from going to the Padres and they succeeded.
Yeah I’m sure the Los Angeles dodgers were quaking in their boots at the prospect of a 1 year rental elevating the padres over a 106 win team
When did I ever say we were going to win 106 games?? They blocked him just for the fun of it.
You all must be in California.
Why? Did they feel sorry for the Padres’ owners that Preller keeps throwing away all their money and not getting out of the basement? Betts wouldn’t have made the Padres a challenge for the Doggers.
Oh yeah, that was the reason. Everyone is terrified of the Padres.
No word on the return so how you know they got bailed out? Only verdugo so far
Hey remember that time the Dodgers made a similar trade with Boston for A Gon, Beckett and Crawford? Pepperidge Farms remembers…..
Of course, we remember and we also remember who won the WS that year too. Lol.
The thing is… the Dodgers were going to win 100+ games again (or come damned close) anyway. Anything can happen in the playoffs because *all* of the teams in the playoffs are good. Trading for one guy isn’t going to nail it down for you, I don’t care how good he is.
So the Dodgers cruise to a 120 win season and still maybe lose to the Yankees or the Twins or Rays in the world series or choke against the Braves in the NLCS. . it could happen, that’s the beauty of the game.
Yeah because adding a guy who can single handily win games on both sides of the ball is a dumb proposition when playing must win games
Each of the 3 defeats have had the offense turn into pumpkins in the playoffs. But what a stupid idea!
This is some dumb logic
Dodgers would have won the NL West without making this move. Doubt Price is gonna be an upgrade over Maeda. Long term, I’d rather have Verdugo and four years of control than one year of Mookie.
I see Price as more of a replacement for Hill than Maeda. Regardless, Dodgers will dominate the NL West and beyond whether they make this trade or not. I think the inclusion of Maeda puts them in a position where they’ll have to acquire another SP at the deadline.
You guys playin’ cards?
I like fried chicken too
Fook
Annnnnnd here we go!! What could the 3rd team be offering here?
Reds getting seager of course.
Likely a dodger arm going somewhere for a prospect
Dodgers still won’t win a WS
this made me laugh. I hope so you’re right! 🙂
Yeah as long as Clayton Kershaw chokes in the playoff, which he will, this won’t mean jack diddly squat.
I guess the silver lining to this is that the Rangers have a better shot at the WC without Betts and Price on the sox.
Can’t seeing Rangers having any shot at WC with Gibson in the rotation.
He’s our 5th starter, he wouldn’t be used in the postseason.
And he’s our 5th… so yeah
Have you looked at the rest of the team they still have Sale,Devers,JDM,bendy and X B
Three teams are better than the Rangers in that division.
Why would you think the Rangers have any shot whatsoever at a championship, regardless?
Aj pollock to the Rangers?
Pls no. Just no. I’d rather a young speedster at the bottom of the order. Like Billy Hamilton, I just don’t like that contract.
Yeah who wants good players on their teams when you can get a centerfeilder with a sub .300 on base
Uh, Hamilton is a free agent
I meant the Pollock contract.
Hamilton is pure garbage and is a free agent. Anybody can have his worthless obp
I don’t know. With the 26th man a guy like Hamilton could be a valuable bench weapon.
A true center fielder with an OPS at 108 and an OBP of like .330 with some pop
I’d say the Rangers could use that.
Let Santana be a utility player or 1b
Let’s Go Dodgers! Lets Go!
Lol. How many starters does LA need?
Betts not a Red Sox? Not right!
FINALLY MY DODGERS GOT IT DONE
Doesn’t mean you won’t choke again
At least we can get to a position to choke instead of just choking on our division rivals all year
You mean be cheated against?
They certainly did
Alright, step one of my plan as a Giants fan is complete. Step two is that the Dodgers don’t make it to the World Series, and step three is that Mookie walks in free agency.
So much to look forward to, good for you buddy keep on hating
Wtf plan is that
You forgot about the step where the Giants lose 100+ games next year, because their roster is the least-talented in baseball.
Did you type that with a straight face sax? Ever heard of a little team called the Orioles?
Trey Mancini way better then any Giants hitter. Best Giants hitter last year was let go by the Orioles.
The Orioles? Are they in Detroit these days?
I don’t disagree. The Giants major league team is terrible, and it will be for the next couple years. I don’t think anyone disagrees with that. My hope is to field a competitive team by 2022 or so, and make it back to the postseason.
And yeah, I don’t want the Dodgers to win the World Series. I’m allowed to want them to fall short. There’s a reason it’s called a rivalry.
Typical giants fan. So obsessed with the dodgers instead of their own team. But I get it the giants aren’t going to good again for years so you gotta have something. Good job lil planner.
Step 1 is Dodgers win World Series?
There’s that big move Dodgers fans were hoping for!
You Boston fans have got a potential monster in Verdugo.
Above average? Sure. Monster? Yeah, I don’t see that.
Riv agree 100% unless he blooms late and gets better than what he has shown far.
I love Betts but Verdugo was a steal!!
So they traded for a second mascot?
they don’t need that though. the lineup still looks good and they’ll get below the threshold. I’m happy
Said it before I will say it again. Jays should get on that be the 3rd team involved and take on a good chunk of prices remaining contract. Would have a half way decent rotation if that happened
Lmao… no!
w00t!!
Congrats Dodgers fans
Nick Punto trade 2.0? 2020?
Punto for president
Agreed
Sad Padres fan… Shall we start up kris Bryant trade rumors again?
Don’t really want to trade Bryant, but how about Patino, Margot, and Morejon for him?
Deal
You’ll have to take myers back with 60 or more percent of his salary in any deal with SD….
I’m a Padres fan and not sad in the least. AJ would have given up the farm for a rental. They’re not close enough to relevance for that yet.
If the Dodgers can’t win it this year, Idk how they ever will.
If the Dodgers don’t win it all this year then idk if it’ll ever happen. That’s a heck of a lineup wow
It seems like the Red Sox alway dump their bad contracts to the Dodgers like they did with Beckett, Crawford and Gonzalez!
They got nothing back in that deal…at least someone of quality headed east in this one
What are you talking about? Dodgers gave us the 2013 World Series…
We got nick punto, rubby de la Rosa and another pitcher in the deal. None of them turned out to be anything. Yes the payroll got cleared so we could sign Napoli/Victorino/Gomes but that’s not his point
Punto also went to LA. deLe Rosa went to AZ for Wade Miley. Miley went to SEA for C Smith who blew out his arm. Webster went to Pitt for Brock Holt.
Future HOF Nick Punto
Bee – They’re not dumping a bad contract on the Dodgers. Betts has just this year before free agency. The Dodgers will offer him their own bad contract before the all star break.
Just taking on Price’s contract is ridiculous! Price is not worth his early salary!
The Twins will bail them out and give them prospects in return for price. Just like the Padres took on Kemp and the Reds took on Puig. These mega market Teams need all the help we can give them!!
I was just reading about how Kemp’s mansion in Poway from when he was a Padre finally sold. He got 4.3 million for it after buying it for 9.75 million back in 2015.
No wonder retired ballplayers are out selling autographs for ten bucks a pop.
Just like they offered a contract to Machado. Betts is one and done in LA
As good as these players are or were, it’s tough to expect any dominance while learning a whole new league. See: Machado
So the winner here is Boston.
Well then. Preller’s seat just got a little hotter. Not even a pipe dream of a chance to catch the Dodgers and a WC seems tough. I wonder how close the Pads were? If they balked over $15 million with a chance to shed half of Myers salary then this is a big miss.
Red sock never ever plan to trade with padres
Red sock never ever plan to trade with padres
Once the rumors of the Padres trading for Betts hit the street, I was intrigued, but the more I thought about it, the more I hoped it didn’t happen. I may be in the minority, but I feel that one year of Betts with a slim chance of re-signing him in the off-season is not worth whatever Preller would have had to give up. Keeping Myers isn’t ideal, but there may be another chance for the Pads to unload him at the trade deadline or in the off-season. Who knows, maybe he’ll surprise everyone and have a decent season.
The Red Sox suckered Preller into trade talks in order to get the Dodgers back to the table. Probably a little payback for the whole Pomeranz / Anderson Espinoza debacle.
That makes zero sense, if anything it brought the price up for the dodgers benefiting the Padres compared to if they weren’t involved.
Think before posting geez.
Because Espinoza is a Cy Young candidate next year.
Padres’ problem is nobody wants Wil Myers even if SD eats 75% of that contract. Myers is Chris Davis West.
Red Sox getting Verdugo is an automatic win.
Why are people talking about a guy that hit .290 with 14 HRs in 106 games as if he is the second coming of Mickey Mantle or Duke Snider?
He might become good, but he is not an automatic win.
Hiflew’s comments in one word:
Cuckoo
Just the fact that you disagree with the comment makes me feel much better.
BTW, you should stick with one word comments because every word you type makes you look worse.
Of course now that Verdugo is gone, Dodger fans are going to downplay his talents.
No he’s good. We just don’t know how good yet.
Why does everyone assume I am a Dodger fan?
I don’t downplay his talents. I like Verdugo. He hit lefties well, is a good clutch hitter and wasn’t a homer-or-strikeout guy like a lot of the offense. I don’t like giving him up, and I also think they are going to miss Maeda coming out of the pen, but I give the Dodgers credit for getting two solid stars. And they kept all of their young prospects for future trades.
Scary but I actually agree with hiflew. Verdugo so far has shown a lack in speed, power, and ability to take a walk. Just a average guy coming off injury. Can he improve? I dunno, but far from a sure thing. The pitcher from the twins looks nice though. That is the best piece. Soxs killed it. Dodgers did fine. Twins we will have to wait and see on who evaluated their prospect correctly.
Be careful. Apparently I am considered a pariah around here. Agreeing with me publicly here means you might be laughed at in the middle school cafeteria tomorrow.
@hiflew. I couldn’t agree with you when you told us Degrom will make an additional 200 million from age 35 on but you are right on this. So you surprised me. Well have to see how you do in future posts.
I don’t remember saying that. I remember the conversation, but I don’t remember saying that exactly. I don’t think he will make $200 million from 35 on. I just said that you had to add the money he would make from 35 on to his current contract if you want to compare it to Cole’s deal. No I don’t think he will surpass Cole’s total, but it would be a lot closer than it appears now if the time frames on both pitchers were the same.
Hiflew well to come close to Cole’s 324 or whatever it was would mean he would have to make 200 million after this contract. I believe he can opt out and probably will if healthy and elite but then he would have to be 33 or 34 and get 260 million contract.
Verdugo was also playing in a pitchers park. Playing half your games in Fenway will improve any players numbers.
Tell that to Pablo Sandoval.
Yeah stymeedone. What ya gotta say about that haha
The Atlanta Braves better take notes if they want to be serious about competing. It’s no coincidence that they are on a 10 playoff series losing streak.
Waiting for the MORE TO COME
Jeff Passan of ESPN also reporting the possibility of a third team that might actually receive David Price + Cash. Per tweet: Significant cash will be going the way of wherever David Price lands. But the main player, Mookie Betts, will be a Dodger should medicals go as expected.
Sports Illustrated photoshopped a Dodgers jersey onto Betts and gotta say…some players just look better wearing certain jerseys. Betts just looks like a Dodger in it.
if the dodgers do not make it to the WS and win it all, they are the biggest chokers of all time. so much talent… there are no excuses now. hate on me all you want but its true
So, you think the Yankees are mincemeat?
Go reds
what a ridiculous day in baseball…
I just hope that the Dodgers get hit by another Miracle team next year (maybe the Mets), and their players hit free agency, and they can’t pay them.
FINALLY it is done. I’ll bet the Reds are the third team, and they send Senzel to get Seager in return. They need a good SS badly
Thank God!
How do you give up Verdugo for one year of Mookie?
To win a title? Without losing a wink of sleep
Verdugo was nearly as good as Mookie last year and is under control for 5 more years.
He was half the player Value wise stop lying to yourself
No he wasn’t… Verdugo produced 3.1 BRWAR over 343 ABs. Mookie produced 6.8 over 597 ABs. At the same number of at bats, Verdugo is at 5.4 baseball reference WAR. Mookie was worth 1.4 more wins than Verdugo last year and Verdugo comes with 5 years of control compared to Mookie’s 1. I wouldn’t make that deal if I were the Dodgers.
1.2 of Verdugo’s WAR is dWAR, so if you’re only gonna talk about ABs, the correct numbers are 5.2 vs 1.9. Verdugo is also still uncleared for baseball activity, now 6 full months after his most recent injury. He will be lucky to get 350 ABs again this year. Verdugo will be a stud eventually but for the Dodgers it’s a win-now move that didn’t cost them anyone named Lux, May, Smith, Ruiz.
Lmao. No he wasn’t.
It’s silly to acquire Betts only to win the National leauge title . 😉
Because Verdugo is a prospect and Mookie is an MVP. Is it really that hard for you to figure out?
See above comment
Abut half of that bWAR was defensive and those calculations are suspect to say the least. In my opinion, the Sox just got a younger Jason Heyward. Not a bad player, but not exactly a superstar either.
I say more like a Corey Dickerson. Verdugo shown he can hit .300 maybe he can become a stud. But I am going to trust one of the best scouting departments in baseball not to give away 5 years of a stud for 1 year of one.
Place your Betts for whatever Price you want!
Meanwhile in St. Louis…
“…”
Never thought it would happen buddy
Third team is Cleveland. Lindor to the Dodgers for a AAAA outfielder
Hard to stomach this as a Padres fan. This is one where I’m always going to wonder “what could have been.”
“What could have been”
“What could have been a 3rd place finish in the NL West , followed by the loss of prospects and Mookie Betts at seasons end”
You guys REALLY missed out.
Preller could have peed away another $30M and they would have finished in 3rd place with about 80 wins.
MY DODGERS GOT IT DONE ✅
Whichever AL team faces the Dodgers this year is going to have a seriously tough time. 2020 has the makings of being a classic Yankees-Dodgers duel
Pitching still wins. I would take my chances against 2 games of Kershaw and 2 from price and their bullpen. Dodgers need to acquire 1 or 2 elite backend guys to really sure things up. They have to August. They will win the West easily even before this trade.
You do realize the dodgers have buehler as well. He has proven himself to be a big pitcher since arriving to the big leagues. He would take 2 games before price.
buehler game 1 and 5. Kershaw game 2 and 6 Price game 3 so maybe buehler pitches short rest game 7. But what if buehler goes game 7 a previous series and won’t start until game 3 next series? You don’t know how it will play out. You must have him pitching every game or only on 2 or 3 days rest every series.
I think Boston knows that no matter what ridiculous contract they give out they’ll always have the dodgers to unload it on
Verdugo is good, but he ain’t no Mookie Betts. Go for it Dodgers!
But Verdugo is nearly as good as Mookie and comes with 5 years of control. Mookie is a free agent next year.
Nearly as good? He’s a prospect who already has injury history in the form of a bad back. And he was expendable on the Dodgers. Have you seen Mookie play? Many consider him second best position player only to Trout. And if they don’t resign him. they get a draft pick and have all the money in the world to sign someone else if need be.
Dodgers can always trade for Corey Dickerson if they want a Verdugo back. As good as Mookie. You are either a idiot or a troll who thinks he is funny so what one is it?
WHAT THE TWINS?!?!? THIS IS THE BEST OFF-SEASON IN THE PAST 20 YEARS!!!
The Twins are not going to have room for all their AAA relievers! It’s great to have 7 or more starters to pick from, even if none are dominant aces.
Seven or more starters to pick from? The Twins have 3 starters to begin the season with and 2 spots in their starting rotation to fill before opening day. This should be a concern for a team looking to contend in 2020 and is why the front office just signed Chacin to a minor league deal, traded for Maeda, and is also looking into signing Walker. Apparently they must not be that confident in starting the season with two rookie pitchers or they wouldn’t have just traded their best minor league arm to get Maeda.
For the Twins, maybe, but the Reds and White Sox have both done more to improve overall.
Woah… need all the details but dang
The third team is gonna be the reds and they’re gonna get seager
I guess since they can’t beat teams that cheat, they go out and trade for their players.
Dodgers have always been a dumping ground for Red Sox players… All I have to say is thank you.
I hate that Boston is trading Betts as a business move when they can compete, but if you have the chance to get price off the books you do it.
If the Dodgers are giving up Verdugo, a cheap and controllable outfielder with a lot of potential, plus taking on Price’s contract, then they shouldn’t be giving up anything else of value for just one year of Betts.
Mariners, Rays, or Padres will be the 3rd team.
Mariners, Rays, and Padres are not the Twins, who are the reported 3rd team.
They aren’t the Angels either.
Nice
What has been said so far is it is Mookie and Price for Verdugo and another player. The Dodgers are eating all the money.
This could be a good deal for both teams if there is any truth to this deal.
I wonder if Price and Verdugo will pass their physicals. Verdugo has that weird oblique injury that ended his season early still nagging him. I wonder if it is a tear.
No where have I seen the Dodgers eating all the money.. One report said they’re paying half of price.
Significant cash from Boston to LA they say
Why the hell does everything I post post twice???
I was betting on Betts to the Yankees for Clint Frazier
Any other bets you’d like to make? Hit me up, anytime
Yankees and Dodgers both lose in the LDS and/or LCS
I concur!
I was joking but its gonna be great if they did .. especially the Yankees. Cole is gonna be the new Jason Giambi. Another 7 years without a championship
Is it LAD flipping price to Twins and Twins sending someone to Sox?
Eddie Rosario.
If Verdugo goes to the Sox then why would they need Rosiario.
I’m gonna die, pure shock.
Insanity trading Verdugo for Price & Betts, if that’s the extent of what the Dodgers receive, it’s a hands down win for the Sox. The Dodgers only benefit from this deal if they win the WS. Mookie’s a great player but he’s no guarantee to re-sign and even if so, it’ll be haphazardly expensive. Over the next 5-7 years I’ll take the younger, cheaper player like Verdugo. Betts is still the better player but the Dodgers must’ve felt the pressure badly to make this move.
The NL West is a winner in the long-term overall though. The Dodgers were going to win this division anyway this year but they just traded away their cheapest, young OF’er. Bellinger will be crazy expensive to extend and while guys like Lux & May are great prospects, plenty of them don’t live up to the hype. While Verdugo may never be the star that Bellinger or Betts is, Championship teams need guys like Verdugo.
Like I said, the Dodgers win short-term if they win the WS but this would be a long-term win for Boston and the other NL West teams.
Dodgers screw the Padres once again.
Trust me, the Padres aren’t crying over this one. Now LA has their own version of Will Myers for their rotation!
Only if the Dodgers are able to re-sign Betts in the off-season, then the Padres would be screwed. I’m kind of relieved that they didn’t pull the trigger just for one year of Betts. It doesn’t make sense to me. Not worth it given the current state of the Padres IMO. They are still at least a year out before being a real threat to the Dodgers.
One factor people are overlooking is Dodger tickets aren’t cheap and the fan base is like yeah yeah they will win the West easily, they didn’t do crap this off season. Mookie now gave the base some excitement. Put butts in seats.
Joc Pederson to the Angels?
WTF?
Where’d you get that?
Sources
Ok I saw it… holy crap.
Ken Rosenthal lol
I’m confused, if Twins are still involved then that has to make FOUR teams
Or 2 diff deals
Maybe it was either Twins or Angels?
Or maybe Price gets flipped to Twins?
Mike Trout wanted Eppler to build a contending team around him. Well despite the lack of a decent rotation, Pederson will help to deliver offense. The defense is shaping up.. Trout, Ohtani, Rendon, Upton, Simmons, Fletcher comprise a formidable lineup.
Pederson is a sure bet to walk after this season, and he wasn’t returning to LA regardless. His fate was sealed when LA signed Pollack LAST offseason.
good greif this is crazy
Wonder which of the Red Sox stars is next on the trading block, since apparently none of them are off limits. Bogaerts? Benintendi? Devers? Now the rotation only has Sale and Rodriguez to count on, with no top or secondary starters left on the market. Way to go O’Hallaran. Keep it up!
Sincerely, Yankees Nation.
theyre not rebuilding, theyre just trying to reset their luxury tax situation.
They could have just unloaded Price, along with Holt or Bogaerts. Or mlb ready talent. To trade away Betts will cost them in the short term, then even more if they try to re-acquire him in free agency. Depending on his performance with the Dodgers, he could command the biggest contract of the next off season.
Holt is a free agent.
LAD was already a Monster. Now this. WOW
Rumor, Price to Twins…..
I hope Price goes to the Twins so the White Sox’s offense can rock him a few times this year.
White Sox aren’t good yet. Yeah, their offense should be all right, but I don’t think they win more than 83 games or so, even in that division, they just don’t have any pitching. So i’m not sure why it would matter if even if they do rock Price.
Because as the Twins proved numerous times last year, you can win 10-7, so having a questionable rotation doesn’t necessarily prevent victories. The Sox’ offense isn’t *that* good, but it will matter that they’ll rock opposing pitchers more often than prior years.
Apparently it’s the angels
Nightengale says MIN, Rosenthal says LAA. I’m inclined to never believe ole Bobby boy.
Rosenthal just reported 3rd team in Betts deal is Angels and Joc Pederson is piece headed to Anaheim.
can he pitch?
If the Twins are the third team, I see either Rosario or Buxton (possibly Nick Gordon) going to Red Sox and Twins getting a pitcher from the Dodgers.
Maeda maybe?
Edit: I was right, Rosenthal just tweeted it.
Maeda to MN
Dodgers got a steal..
oml lookes like the Jimmy Butler trade now
Dodgers know they need this to beat the Mets this year
Welp, is pads fan are furious
It’s okay as long as Betts doesn’t resign. Although he most likely will
Nah LAD doesnt sign guys to 400 million dollar contracts…
Got a feeling Price is going to Twins…
OR Angels who need a SP badly…
Who are the Angels sending to Boston!?!!?!?
Mike Trout LOL
Price still needs to pass his medical records.
Glad. Boston sacrificing 2020 for 2021.
Wow. how many players/teams are involved in this thing? This is great.
Hahaha, Price gives Dodgers too many pitchers, so they send Walker Buehler to the Twins. Hahahahaha!!!!
*fart noise*
Why would Dodgers trade both Alex V and Joc. Do alot of people think Betts will sign long term with them?
Joc is a free agent after this season.
I’d love to see all the blockbuster trades the Dodgers have made in the last decade and a half just to win nothing and cry about Houston. Can’t buy chips!
You can cheat to them tho
Apparently that’s better. Lmfao congrats you root for the scum of mlb
I’m a Dodger season ticket holder and I’ve gotten to see 7 seasons of winning plus 7 seasons of playoffs. Feels like winning to me.
Congrats on all your NL West Champions flags and t-shirts
Twins get Dustin May from the Dodgers.
And the twins give up?
Maybe you should put “I am wishing”
It ain’t happening
LOL, try Kenta Maeda. The Dodgers wouldn’t trade Dustin May for anyone.
Are there any teams that aren’t involved in this trade? Who is coming and going to Minnesota?
I was hoping Lux would be involved, but I’ll take this.
Apparently the Dodgers are the dumbest organization in Baseball, thought after taking Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett they would have learned their lesson. A rental and a terrible David Price contract. I guess they didn’t.
Red Sox are eating a lot of Price’s contract from what I’ve heard.
a contract they won’t be paying much of
Price for 48 million is close to market rate. I’m not sure why everyone is so down on him. I’d take him for the money versus giving up Graterol for Maeda any day.
If the Dodgers didn’t get the Twins involved in this, they would’ve had to give up another top prospect to get Mookie. Instead they just gave up Maeda. Huge win there. I could see Price out pitching Maeda this season fairly easily.
Kenta to Twins.
Maeda for a top prospect… that makes zero sense for the twins
Now Rosenthal saying Maeda going to Twins as part of deal. Need to wait for official announcement by both teams.
Oh, just saw the update about Maeda and Graterol. To be honest, Maeda might be a useful pickup for the Twins. He can eat some innings and turn in an acceptable ERA.
So price and Betts for Verdugo and who else?
Why the hell do the Dodgers want price?
Red Sox getting Graterol and Verdugo for Betts and Price is nothing short of an absolute coup. I’m not sure why the Twins essentially gave up Graterol for Maeda though. That part baffles me.
I would hope that there is more coming from this trade going to Minnesota. Because that would be awful tough pill to swallow as a Twins fan.
It is tough…..
Yeah I’m really happy I’m not a Twins fan. That is absolutely brutal. We’ve seen what Maeda brings. I’m not sure how that is possibly worth a top prospect like Graterol. Just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
Graterol may hit triple digits but he has absolutely no secondary offerings whatsoever and his fastball has ZERO movement. He’s made no progress either with other pitches. In his limited innings at the mlb level he has gotten crushed by opposing hitters who can hit that fastball. He’s not a top of the rotation starter in the making like everyone here is saying. This isn’t a bad trade for the Twins. Graterol might become a good reliever down the road.
Because Kenta Maeda is a proven big league pitcher that can help the Twins win the WS and history is full of guys like Graterol that did not pan out. They are going for a Word Series title, not a farm system title.
Maeda is nowhere close to a TOR starter and Graterol is a top 50 or so prospect in the game. Perhaps they should’ve just paid a little bit of money for Price like the Dodgers just did.
Generic statements like “guys like Graterol flame out” is pretty stupid. That’s an extremely high price to pay for what Maeda brings. Other teams have paid way way less for comparable arms. Unless you think Maeda is due to take another leap forward I’m not sure how you’re sitting back and defending the deal. It was a heavy give.
First off I am not stupid. I just happen to disagree with you on evaluating this baseball trade. Secondly, when you use quotation marks, you are supposed to put the exact words. Otherwise you are the one looking stupid. Finally, they did what teams have done ever since baseball started. They traded from the future to help them now. No matter how good Graterol is expected to be, he is not going to help the 2020 Twins and Maeda could.
The Twins window in the AL Central s only open for a short time. The White Sox are a year or two away, maybe not even that much. Detroit and KC are likely to be good again in 3 years or so. And Cleveland is likely stepping back a bit. This might be the Twins best chance at a title.
I’m not betting my house that the Twins are going to be winners in this deal by any means, but it would be equally foolish to bet that Graterol is going to be better as well.
I didn’t call you stupid. I said the comment was stupid. Smart people can say dumb things. Also not sure why you felt the need to go on a paragraph tangent about it. But anyway….
Graterol is major league ready so he could certainly help the Twins this year. Not really the biggest consideration there though. The problem is that they gave him up for Kenta Maeda. They didn’t give him up for a Zack Greinke or a guy you can slot in at the top of your rotation. You could’ve signed Dallas Keuchel for dollars and held onto your top young arm.
The Dodgers basically just got David Price for nothing if you assume that Verdugo for Betts was the real deal….I would’ve much rather taken on ~50 MM of Price’s salary and not given up a top prospect.
It’s easy to much rather taken on ~50MM and not given up a top prospect when it is not your money. Carl Pohlad has been know as, to put it nicely, thrifty with his money. The Dodgers have always been known to take on expensive deals in order to get better players.
It’s just a case of both teams being themselves.
As far as the tangent goes, it was more a case of the straw that broke the camel’s back. I have been called several colorful names on this site today based on my opinion of a baseball trade that I had nothing to do with. I’m not losing any sleep over it, but sometimes you feel the need to defend yourself.
Maybe the twins don’t feel like the prospect is going to be a #1 or even a #2. Only reason to make this trade.
Maeda isn’t free though. So it’s not as if the difference between giving up a top prospect and paying price was really ~50MM. If Kenta Maeda makes 30 starts a year you’re going to be paying him ~30-35 MM bucks over the next 3 years. So would I rather pay Price 50 and keep Graterol or pay Maeda 15-20 less and lose Graterol?
Pretty easy choice on my end. Don’t like the deal for the Twins. I could obviously be wrong here but I’m not a huge fan.
It’s not 50 for Price. It is 66. Or double the cost of Maeda. But to each their own. There is really no point in analyzing the deal until you see how it works out on the field anyway.
People around here once thought acquiring James Shields and Wade Davis for a can’t miss prospect like Wil Myers was idiotic for the Royals and it turned into a couple of World Series appearances for them. I’m sure Twins fans will be fine with losing Graterol if that happens for them.
Not sure how you’re doing your math.
Dodgers get 50 MM. Price is owed 96. 96-50=46
Again though, Shields was Shields. We were talking about a 200+ inning every year TOR guy. I don’t have a gigantic problem trading prospects. You either use them as trade capital or develop them into major leaguers. My problem is giving him up for Maeda.
My math was screwed up. I got a couple of numbers transposed in my memory. No excuses, I messed up.
I just think you are underestimating and undervaluing Maeda. He has proven to be a solid big league starter (at least at Shields’ level IMO) plus he has an ability to pitch superbly out of the pen. It could be very possible that Maeda becoming a bullpen guy once Rich Hill joins the rotation in midseason. Possibly even their closer. But I guess we will just have to wait and see.
Graterol is overrated by Twins fans. He’s really a 2 pitch pitcher right now, and while he’s been touted as a superstar on the way, his ultra elite velocity hasn’t translated to blowing hitters away in the upper minors like a truly elite prospect. If Graterol is able to get his changeup worked out to be a MLB worthy offering, his ceiling is still going to be short of a true ace pitcher. Berrios is Graterol’s ceiling, and while that’s really good, there’s still a ton of risk he cements himself into the bullpen.
Maeda is is nowhere close to a top of the rotation starter? Sure seems like he could be nearly as good as Berrios. Maeda doesn’t really look like an ace, but he has the ability to be a solid #2. The K rate, control, and low WHIP are all there.
jbigz12: Time for you to do your homework….”If Maeda makes 30 starts a year you’re going to be paying him $30-35 mill over the next 3 years”…Where did you pull that from?? The fact is the Twins inherit Maeda’s contract from LA, which is goes for the next 4 seasons…through 2023 at $3.125 mill per year!! Total cost for 4 years is $12.5 mill.. Facts do matter.
Maeda is 32. He’s finished the last 3 years in the pen. I don’t think I’m going to be talking about him and “upside.” Last year he made 26 starts and threw 137 innings of 4.14 ERA ball. Certainly not bad. Not #2 good either.
Graterol is a heavy give for that. Team friendly contract is great and maybe Graterol does not hit the ceiling. But I’m not knocking him for anything he’s done. He looked just fine in AAA last year. I’m not very worried about the strikeouts—he was very good at preventing runs at that level. He still has the big fastball. If he were to be a FUlltime reliever and utilized a two pitch arsenal—I’m sure the strikeouts would come in that role…. But obviously you want to develop him as a starter. That’s a lot of potential to put in the bullpen right now.
Christ almighty Darwin go to spotrac and search “Kenta Maeda”— Then go ahead and look at his incentives. Before replying like an A-hole saying that I did not do my homework—you should perhaps triple check that you have your answers correct.
I can appreciate a good snarky comeback if I were blowing smoke. But you F’d this one up.
You’re using the Dodgers manipulating his incentives to avoid going over the Lux tax as if that has anything to do with his talent
He’s fantastic the first 2 times thru, and a weak team he can go 3x. LA gave him 30 starts for 4 years but magically decided he’s not good enough to start in Sept? Yeah totally legit
Do your homework before making stupid claims
Maeda has exactly 4 big league seasons under his belt and has made 30 starts in exactly one of them. I don’t know what the hell youre rambling on about but it isn’t based in facts. The Dodgers were nearly 7 million bucks under the tax last year. Maeda didn’t have enough incentives left on his deal to hit that total.
But sure, on a team with less pitching depth—I’m sure he would’ve made his starts. He made 26 starts last year and posted his 4.16 ERA. I was sure to mention those numbers. So I’m not quite sure what you’re trying to grasp for here.
The Dodgers rotation has been overloaded these last years. With the addition of Wood this year, it made sense to trade Maeda more than it had, even with losing Ryu, they keep May and Gonsolin.
A top prospect that has proven absolutely nothing in his limited innings at hte MLB level, that hasn’t progressed at all with his secondary pitches and is a one trick pony who throws a very hard but hittable fastball with almost no movement. Right now Graterol is a reliever at best unless he really picks it up and learns to pitch.
Agreed. He is vastly overrated as a prospect from what i’ve seen of him. I wouldn’t even call him a 2 pitch pitcher. He’s got a blistering fastball that is straight as an arrow that MLB hitters can and have crushed and that’s about it. He’s not a top of the rotation starter in the making at this point and hasn’t shown he can learn additional pitches so far either.
Yup agreed Jbigz12
So does the Dodgers lose the draft pick tied to a QO for Betts?
Betts was still under team control. Last year of arb.
Dodgers can offer him a QO after the season and gain a pick.
Red sox win BIG., Twins lose, dodgers lose unless they win the WS this year. 🙁
Why? The dodgers can just sign another Elite outfielder if they can’t re-sign Betts.
In a 1 OF for 1 OF deal, why not try and have the better one?
That’s an odd way of thinking about it. Don’t forget about David Price and his thick contract. Or that they, in turn, had to move Joc Pederson and Kenta Maeda…. or that Betts is making somewhere around $26 million and is a free agent after the season while Verdugo is cheap and controllable for four years.
But yeah, it’s a 1 OF for 1 OF deal..
Not odd, really. David Price’s contract? 15M per is right in line with who he is now, and it’s fair to assume he’ll deliver at least what Maeda did. It also bears mentioning that Maeda wasn’t happy (at all) with his role as a part-time starter (his incentive-laden deal pays as a starter, not a spot starter/reliever). LAD did right by him by sending him to a team where he’ll hit his numbers, and even Pretty Good Price is as good or better. So…a wash.
Pederson was a helluva player….if he was facing a righty, and if he was hot, and if he was playing regularly. Given LAD’s depth, that’s too many ifs—especially for a guy in his walk year. If flipping him gets LAD under the threshold (re: allows Friedman to sell this to the Guggenheim folks)—especially considering the depth in that outfield now—then that’s an easy call. A fan favorite, yes…but an easy call.
And swapping a very good player with promise (and an oblique issue) and a fine bat (with little pop as yet) for a top-5 player in the game is a deal you do every time. LAD is awash in prospect depth, so the controllable years of any one of them matter less—particularly given their financial ability to sign/trade for an impact OF, in the event Betts walks.
If you look at this as a question of who will LAD even miss, should all involved stay healthy, contribute at a rate their histories suggest, etc?
The answer is only Verdugo—the price for a truly elite player (who bats righty, no less).
LAD did what rich teams should (and they’re ALL rich; some just are better at pretending like they’re not);
Make massive upgrades when they can, without mortgaging virtually any of their top-3-farm-system future.
Now, about that shaky ‘pen……….
the twins did fine, they gave up a prospect and got back a rotation piece that they needed after failing to get anyone in free agency
yep. Twins are not losers in this like the idiots above are stating.
As a White Sox fan, I hope the Twins bring in Price as a part of their rotation.
Maeda
For the Twins, if it’s basically Maeda for Graterol, that’s bad for the Twins.
How so? Maeda is a proven big league pitcher and Graterol MIGHT be a big league pitcher one day.
I understand it might be a loss for the Twins in the future if Graterol pans out and Maeda doesn’t pitch well for the Twins, but by no means is that a guarantee.
Thing is it doesn’t have to be. Graterol is a very high end prospect, he probably could have gotten more than Maeda. That means they lose the trade, even if Graterol doesn’t sniff the majors in his career. Trades need to be judged on current values imo because that’s what you’re trading away/for. Just because you’re right about a breakout/bust doesn’t mean you got value in trade.
A highly overrated high end prospect you mean. Graterol is basically a one pitch pony that throws a very hard but hittable fastball with no movement. Projects as a reliever.
Twins guarantee temsevles the AL Central and the Dodgers are the favorites to win it all.
Red Sox re=tool for 2021.
Nice trade for everyone.
How easy is it going to be to root for the Dodgers to fail again this year? For the 32nd consecutive season!
How easy is it going to be to root for the Dodgers to fail again this year? For the 32nd consecutive season!
How easy is it going to be to root for the Dodgers to fail again this year? For the 32nd consecutive season!
How did Price not get a no trade clause
even if he had one, why wouldn’t he waive it to try for a WS in LA instead of rebuilding in Boston?
Wait so the Twins are giving up a top prospect just for Maeda? Why?
Arm troubles. Likely a future reliever. Twins need starters. It is a little baffling but seems a fair trade.
Yup this Rangers29
He had TJ young, lost 2 years from it, and went backwards in 2019 down to only 70 IP.
Has high heat, but, throwing sliders as a young arm who had TJ when his body was essentially still just growing up raises some long term questions of RP vs SP.
Twins kinds rushed him from AA where he dominated again, then just a cup of coffee in AAA with a sizeable time in MLB. Probably too early to mlb really, didn’t look quite ready for it.
Hopefully BOS puts him on a strict 100-120ip limit in 2020 AAA. Then see where things stand in 2021.
Because several seasons of cheap, cost controlled quality starters aren’t traded for a PTBNL…
Cleared roughly 60 million.
Sox setting themselves up for next years free agents. Especially if JD opts out.
What in the world are the Twins thinking?? Graterol is a top 100 prospect and all they get back for him is Maeda? This makes no sense.
Seriously go back and look at any top 100 prospects from 5+ years ago and see how many actually panned out as expected. Sure a handful became superstars, but just being in the top 100 is not a guarantee of even lasting through your arb years in the bigs, let alone being a superstar
Yeah but they got Kenta Maeda……
You’d prefer they got someone in the rookie league that could help them get third place in the division in 5 years when they are woefully behind the ChiSox and Detroit?
Lol
You mean to tell me that the only two options for a trade are Kenta Maeda or a guy in the rookie league?
And you wonder why people disregard your opinions!
Oh no. Some people I will never meet don’t respect my opinion How will I ever go on?
Would you have preferred to read every possible trade option they could have acquired instead of me condensing it down to one? Sorry don’t have the time or desire to do that. Well I have the time, but I’d prefer to spend it doing something more fulfilling than continuing to argue with the likes of you. Have a nice night.
I think the point they are making is they could have gotten a better pitcher now for Graterol than Maeda. Which means they lost the trade, no matter how Graterol develops in the future.
Ding ding ding
TWINS WIN BIG!
Noooope. Super disappointed as a twins fan.
Go Angels..!!
WOW. Twins throwing in Brusdar. The Red Sox struck gold with this trade.
There’s no such thing as “gold” when you trade your franchise player, who won you a WS, is a top 5 player in the game, AND ownership has the money to pay long term. If I was a Red Sox fan, I’d be so mad.
im a Red Sox fan and im happy he’s gone…he turned down 10yrs 300mill and asked for 12yrs 420mill haha he is NOT worth more than what Boston offered so bye bye Mookie bye bye
Agree 100% Not worth over 300. Without Ped’ s guys don’t tend to age well. Especially little guys that speed is a big part of their game.
Moving a good chunk of price’s money is what made this deal most worthwhile for boston.
There’s two talented prospects, but, each with a significant injury history in their past. Obviously you prefer not to have that, but, you take what you can get. Attaching price limits you.
Hopefully one or both pans out long term. We’ll see.
Trading mookie? I’m ok with it. He was offered a 300m extension, but, that paid him 60m vs the 47m he actually got through arb. So he turned down 253/8 effectively… almost 32m/yr.
I’m guessing that since Minnesota is involved now, Price must be going there? Also, hearing the Sox will be paying $50M of the remaining $96M on Price’s contract too!
While I love Verdugo, they’d better be getting another prime prospect as part of this deal since they are paying so much of Price’s remaining salary. Hopefully it’s a major league ready pitcher as Boston has a huge hole in its rotation that it needs to fill!
Are you kidding me? You’re getting Verdugo and Graterol for a 34 year old Price and a year of a 27 million dollar Mookie Betts.
If you’re not happy—your expectations were completely unrealistic from the jump.
The Graterol info was not available when I posted my comment above. So they did get something else…Graterol. Very happy with that!
Twins do something right and then they go back to their normal selves. What a terrible trade. Top 60 prospect for a number 4 starter. Not a fan of the state of Minnesota sports teams
Some scouts say he won’t make it as a starter. Will just have to see how smart twins front office is.
Nobody thinks he can be a starter unless his changeup improves. Graterol is like a 75% bullpen arm right now, and even then, he has limited experience at upper minors.
I’ll take the guys who came from TB on the player valuation personally. They worked a little magic on that guy Glasnow from Pittsburgh too. We shall see how it all works out in time. But I like my chances taking the Bloom or Friedman side.
I’ll take the guys who came from TB on the player valuation side. They worked a little magic on that guy Glasnow from Pittsburgh too. We shall see how it all works out in time. But I like my chances taking the Bloom or Friedman side. Seem to have a pretty strong track record of unlocking talent.
Twins got fleeced.
Twins are giving up a lot for Maeda.
As much as I’m critical of Friedman inability to put together a good pen, this is a genius trade for LA. They don’t give up any of their prized controllable assets, e.g., downs, gray or may, and they dump a fungible starter in maeda who will be replaced by may or gonsolin. They can have Pollock, Taylor, Garlick, or Rios play LF.
I agree, its awesome, we used money as a flex and kept all prospects outside of Verdugo- Maeda and Joc were completely fungible as you said– Just amazing
Im sure more details will come in but as of Now im thrilled
Still gotta add to the pen. Can’t waste Mookie. Get a rental or 2 at deadline.
Other NL West teams = wasted 2020. Don’t even bother, you won’t even sniff a wildcard LMAO
Diamondbacks…
Nah. NL east will have both wildcards. If not, the Reds will be the other
Us Giants fans will spend 2020 waiting in the shadows, rubbing our hands maniacally and biding our time, all along whispering about when the Dodgers will choke this season. Will it be the division series, the league championship series, or the World Series?
As a Twins fan, I’m hoping there is more to this trade than what it appears – international pool money? minor leaguers? I’m at a loss.
Yeah Padres not worth whatever move along
WTH Falvine??? Top pitching prospect with 6 years of control left for a career 4 ERA pitcher who couldn’t even stay in the rotation last year. WTH are you doing!!!
While obviously Betts is the biggest and best piece in the deal..
I feel the biggest impact will be Maeda to the Twins…
While he isnt a top flight starting pitcher..he extends the quality of the Twins rotation significantly…
Graterol is alot to give up…but the Twins are going for it and i love the move for them…
Dodgers get a top 5 player in the league….aaaaaand a grossly overpaid Price…but if he can re discover his old form..watch out…
Verdugo is an excellent get for Boston who clearly had no intensions on resigning Mookie…Graterol adds to the Dodgers excellent farm system. Lets see what else Boston is getting…but so far it looks like all teams involved did a good job. LA and Minny shooting for the win-now..Boston building for the future.
Monster of a deal
Graterol to Red Sox not Dodgers
People are overlooking that Maeda is under control for 4.13. Locking up a solid #3 or incredible $4 for that $ gives tham a ton of flexibility. Sox will pay Keuchel $90mil for that kind of production.
Twins easy favorite to win the Central.
Yup, twins traded a top prospect for average, controllable pitching. Freaking out already about how much the gave Donaldson, so finding a way to fix it in the future. Exactly, you’re totally right
He makes 3M base to be your #3 starter. That’s valuable
I think they overpaid, but you’re seriously undervaluing the value(lol) Maeda and his contract can bring
If Maeda is a starting pitcher in your rotation who makes all of his starts he’s going to bank 10 million a year. His contract does have value due to the low guarantee but it’s not as much of a steal as you put there.
What is the deal with Pederson? Who are the Angels giving up? Is this a completely separate deal?
Anyway, the Betts acquisition is basically a sop to the fans. They were p.o.ed about a quiet off-season, so the Dodgers had to do something. We’ll see how Mookie fares in a pitcher’s park with no monster 300 feet away. Machado went to a pitcher’s park in San Diego and was never heard from again (slight exaggeration).
Price is not quite an albatross if he can stay somewhat healthy. Depends on how much money the Red Sox are eating on that contract.
This comment didn’t age well.
As a twins fan, I feel sick right now. I understand Graterol is a prospect, there’s no guarantee that he will be an ace. But, he’s been the twins most hyped starting pitcher in YEARS! We finally get to see him this last September and get excited about what the future could bring. Now we’ve traded him for a middle-aged #4 starter………FML
No idea what the Twins are doing, they traded a top pitching prospect for Meada? That can’t be
I keep hitting refresh thinking another player is coming to the Twins.
very strange. Maybe they really wanted to help the Bostons.
They are trying to win now. Not only is Graterol still a prospect but his arm delivery has such a violent motion it seems like that he may have troubles down the road without a fix.
Graterol already had one TJ. A second wouldn’t be as easy to return from.
Yeah it’s an awful deal for the Twins. Freaking Maeda.. What a joke
How does your front office usually do? If he is only going to be a mid rotation guy then twins killed it. Some say he won’t even make it as a starter. Can’t judge the twins for another year or 2 at least.
All this only for the wild card to beat the #1 seed half the time since the 2 wild cards format.
Why Joc tho
As a Padres fan, half of me wanted Betts. I was also partly interested in Price. On the flip side, that’s a lot of money for 1 year of Betts and a questionable Price.
Maybe the Dodgers will extend Betts, we will see.
Padres aren’t winning anytime soon. Betts would of been free salary wise but too costly in prospects and for what? So the Padres could win 86 games instead of 79 or 80?
Wow. What a off season! One of the best in recent memory. Something happening almost every day. Will have to see the final returns to evaluate this. How much of the price contract Boston eats. If a good portion I think both Boston and LA are winners. With the twins I would rather have the prospect, though I haven’t seen much of him, his numbers look good. They must see something they don’t love. Time will tell.
Welp, that sucks. Thanks Mookie.
So anyway, Bennie goes to right and Verdugo plays left?
Verdugo will be the right fielder.
The best alignment would be Verdugo in center, Benetendi in right, and JDM in left.
No, best alignment is Benny in LF, JBJ in center, Verdugo in RF, and JD at DH.
Dang I don’t like this trade one bit. Dodgers don’t need to have Price. The Red Sox basically gave away their franchise
I hear ya but it does make sense. Dodgers and Twins are in win now mode and the Sox are looking to the next few years.
Scratching head on the Twins part of this.
Don’t get me wrong. I like the deal but they’ve been pumping Graterol to fans for a few years then send him out on first train. At any rate, I think it’s a good deal for all teams.
Maeda? Thats it?
This seems like a brutal deal for the Sox. Sure there is value in getting rid of roughly $50-60 mil in money I suppose… but gosh, got to feel like you can get more in return. At least another prospect or two…. awesome blockbuster in the winter none the less
No choice if they wanted to get rid of Price’s contract. Next years free agent class has some big names. I will say that it’s a scary thought to think that a team with money can have a home grown player leave like this. I don’t like that part of the game. That being said Mookie could always resign with the Sox but then they’re in the same boat as they were this year.
Dodgers balanced out their lineup with this too.
Yup I thought for sure Polock would go back but I really think they belive in him to be a RH force along with Mookie out there-
Friedman is ready to die on Pollock Hill. Why else for you think Friedman—er, Dave Roberts stuck with Pollock and his 11-strikeout, 0-for-13 postseason slump last October?
I hope gore and patino make the opening roster and shut down the dodgers.
The Dodgers just get it. That’s why they are always in it.
No, they dont get it. Their issue wasnt offense, it was pitching, yet they traded for more offense. Stupid move.
Uh, they did get a pitcher and they also needed a good right handed bat, and they got the 2nd best player in the league. They really do get it.
Twins are grabbing white Sox killers. Smart on their part. I’ll put them at 99 wins. Chi Sox 84.
Much as I hate to admit it, Maeda does change the Sox’ chances for the worse this year. I don’t know where you get the idea he’s a White Sox killer, though. He’s faced them exactly once in his career. He did fairly well, but one game is an awfully small sample size to apply the word ‘killer’ to. That term applies fairly to Donaldson, but not to Maeda.
As for wins, I’m projecting the Sox for 87, Twins for 97. Next year, things get more interesting.
Chaim Bloom will build a Juggernaut in Boston
Brilliant move
I agree. Betts wants to go to the highest bidder, and Boston was already turned down for an extension. Why wait?
oh my gosh that is crazy
LA fans will love Mookie, as we do. It looks like a fair trade for everyone involved.
Love this, they finally used the money as a flex play as I prayed they would
– Saved all prospects outside of Verdugo
– Joc and Maeda completly fungible at this point
The bolts is basically 5 years of Verdugo for 1 of Mookie and 3 of Price @ /around 16 per only….
What a steal keeping May Ruiz Downs White Gonzo Peters Gray,
Im soooo thrilled right now!!!!!!
Nice move by the Angels as well to swoop in on the cheap for Joc , I do like Renigfro as a 26th man for LAD though !
Great day Dodger Nation !!
Mookie
Muncy
Turner
Belli
Seager
Pollock
Smith
Lux
Buehler