Mookie Betts hit .297 against the Baltimore Orioles (for Boston) last year. Now the Birds won’t have to worry about him again for the most part. Betts and starting pitcher David Price were traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers late last night. It was a three-way trade, also involving Minnesota – who sent a top pitching prospect to Boston.
There’s irony in the fact that Boston appears to be unloading salary. This trade gets them under the luxury tax. For years they’ve feasted off of teams who couldn’t afford to keep their talent. Now things are different.
Having said that, I suspect this has more to do with the potential punishments the franchise might face due to the cheating scandal. They probably recognize this, and are proactively re-stocking their farm system. Which to be frank is probably a smart thing.
However having these two players out of the AL East will benefit everyone – including the Orioles. Betts has traditionally played some of his best games at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. And Price has been an ace. Nobody mourns their loss across the division.
Birdland Crush 