It has been four years since the Boston Red Sox traded Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the unpopular decision may haunt them more than ever this season.
Betts has gotten off to an absurd start to the year. He has homered in four consecutive games and has 11 hits in 18 total at-bats through five games. Betts already has 9 runs scored and is even playing well defensively after the Dodgers moved him from outfield to shortstop.
Though it has been a while since the Red Sox traded Betts rather than signing him to an extension, people have been more than happy to remind Betts’ former team that they made a huge mistake.
The Red Sox traded Mookie Betts for Alex Verdugo and salary relief. It might legitimately end up being one of the 10 worst trades in baseball history
— Scott Coleman (@scottcoleman55) March 30, 2024
If only there were signs that trading Mookie Betts for barely anything was a huge fucking mistake. https://t.co/KFdihemMrj
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) March 31, 2024
I still don't think people fathom just how monumentally awful the Mookie Betts trade is going to age in baseball history.
Like, he's going to finish his career as one of the all-time greats. He's already 13 games above the average HOF outfielder's 7-year peak WAR.
He's 31. https://t.co/nv5qbrxe7N
— Jon Alba (@JonAlba) March 31, 2024
The Mookie Betts trade is going to go down as a bottom 5 trade of this generation
— N☀️ (@nolan_boolin) March 31, 2024
The Mookie Betts trade will forever have me shaking my head in disgust..
& I’m not even a Red Sox fan
— Bushido Brown (@romello_jordan) March 31, 2024
The primary return for Boston in the Betts trade was Alex Verdugo, who now plays for the New York Yankees. The Red Sox also got Jeter Downs and Connor Wong in the deal, and both are still in the minors.
The Red Sox had such a quiet offseason that even their own players were openly frustrated about it. They are supposed to have some of the deepest pockets in baseball, but they have not operated that way in recent years. Trading Betts was one of the first big moves they made that signaled they do not want to hand out massive contracts to multiple players.
If Betts has a monster year in 2024, Red Sox fans are going to be even more irritated with the team’s front office.
