Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Dodgers Fleece Red Sox for Mookie Betts, Lose to Angels in Joc Pederson, Ross Stripling Trade
After an offseason of missing out on elite talent, the Dodgers struck gold by acquiring Mookie Betts in trade from Boston Tuesday night. The cost is second-year outfielder Alex Verdugo and Kenta Maeda (to Minnesota) and tens of millions in salary to David Price, who also comes to Los Angeles.
Initial thoughts? Great trade. Thoughts after meditating a while? Great trade.
Betts is a one-time Most Valuable Player Award winner with a .301/.374/.519 lifetime line who averages 26 home runs, 96 RBIs and 26 steals per 162 games. And the numbers don't do him justice. Before he dons an interlocking-L.A. cap at a Chavez Ravine presser Betts is already the greatest leadoff hitter in Dodgers history. Yes, that includes Brooklyn. And yes, he's superior in the role to Maury Wills, Brett Butler, Davey Lopes, Steve Sax, Rafael Furcal and Pee Wee Reese. Jackie Robinson, with his 80 leadoff at bats lifetime, doesn't qualify.
Price is an acquired taste and an expensive one. With the Red Sox kicking in some $50 million as incentive, Los Angeles is responsible for about $14 mil per through 2022. Since the Dodgers just spent $48 mil for three years of the now-40 Rich Hill, they''ll take their chances with the young-by-comparison 34-year-old Price. My guess is that if the new guy gives them anything close to Hill's 69 starts, 3.16 ERA and 1.079 WHIP over the course of his deal, they'll be pleased. They'll do cartwheels, actually.
There can be no overstating how big a win this trade is for L.A. The separate deal sending Joc Pederson and Ross Stripling to Anaheim is a loser, however. And a straight salary dump. So while I don't subscribe to "the Dodgers are cheap" line of thinking generally, if the cleat fits. It's apt here.
Pederson will earn either $7.75 million or $9.5 pending an arbiter's decision, while Stripling is set at $2.1 mil. Luis Rengifo, the semi-dime-a-dozen second baseman and new Dodger, will be paid the major league minimum of $563,000 for time served with the big club. Since L.A. has Gavin Lux, Max Muncy, Kiké Hernandez and Chris Taylor ahead of him on the depth chart, it seems to me that Rengifo has Oklahoma City Dodger written all over him.
The Dodgers-Angels trade has not been finalized as of press time, so stay tuned for updates on that one. Maybe it'll hit a snag.
But if it doesn't, Pederson leaves town having made an impression with a .233/.339/.474 career mark, 123 homers, 287 RBIs and some truly big hits in the postseason. The three homers in the 2017 World Series stands out well as the righty-mashing hitter heads to the adjacent county, as does the 36-HR, 74-RBI final season in L.A. You will be missed, Joc Pederson.
And remember, glove conquers all.
