Betts spent the first six seasons of his MLB career with the Red Sox and had won the AL MVP award with Boston in 2018. The Dodgers traded for him just before the 2020 season, sending Alex Verdugo, Connor Wong and Jeter Downs to the Red Sox in exchange for Betts and left-hander David Price.
“I knew it, they told me,” Betts said. “It was weird, man. I thought ‘why’. …I didn’t know anything else. I didn’t want to leave, but I understood the business side of it. It worked.”
Betts had established himself as one of the MLB’s best players by the time the Red Sox traded him, having cemented himself as a perennial All-Star and Gold Glove candidate. He put up unreal numbers during his first six seasons in the MLB, slashing .301/.374/.519 with 139 home runs and 470 RBIs.
More news: Blue Jays Free Agent Bo Bichette linked to Dodgers
He also won a World Series with the Red Sox in his MVP season, in which he had a career-high 1.078 OPS.
However, the move was, as Betts said, for the better.
Since switching coasts, Betts has become a fan superstar in Los Angeles and has won three more World Series titles with the Dodgers. He finished second in the MVP voting with LA in 2023, won four Sliver Slugger awards and has won four All-Star Games since arriving.
More news: Kyle Tucker to Dodgers? MLB Insider provides the latest Outlook
Nearly six years later, Betts has all but cemented his place in the Hall of Fame, and it’s hard to imagine him wearing anything other than a Dodger hat in Cooperstown. While the Red Sox’ decision to trade him is questionable at best – even with their financial constraints – it ultimately gave the Dodgers a franchise cornerstone and marked the beginning of a dominant era of Dodgers baseball.
Photo credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Have you downloaded the new Dodgers Nation app yet? Click here for Apple users And here for Android users to be part of the redesigned app to give fans everything they need, all in one place. Don’t miss the live GameCast with play-by-play, news and analysis, Dodgers Nation podcasts and videos, all the stats you want and more!
#Mookie #Betts #talks #Shocking #Dodgers #Red #Sox #Trade