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Well, ladies and gentlemen, they did it.
After a fairly quiet few months from the Dodgers, they made arguably the biggest splash of the offseason on Tuesday night. Jeff Passan reported that the Dodgers have acquired four-time All-Star and the 2018 A.L. MVP Mookie Betts and the 2012 Cy Young Award winner David Price from the Boston Red Sox.
BREAKING: The Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to a deal with the Boston Red Sox that would send star outfielder Mookie Betts and starter David Price to the Dodgers, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN. Deal is pending medical reviews.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 5, 2020
There could be a third team involved in the deal, as @Ken_Rosenthal reported. 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.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 5, 2020
Betts, 27, has one year remaining on his contract. Whether or not the Dodgers have any intent to sign him long-term is unclear. However, that doesn’t really matter right now, because LA just added one of the best all around players in the game of baseball.
Over the last four seasons, Betts has established himself as a top five player in the MLB. Since 2016, Betts has a slash of .305/.382/.535/.917. He’s hit 116 home runs, driven in 375 runs and scored 487 of his own. Additionally, he’s swiped 98 bases as well.
On top of having one of the best bats in baseball, he adds arguably one of the best gloves. He's won a Gold Glove Award each of the last four seasons, including a Wilson Overall Defensive Player of the Year Award.
With Price, he is owned $96 million over the next three seasons, and it looks like they’ll have to pay about only half of it.
Dodgers are expected to pay about half of Price’s salary. He has 96M to go over 3.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 5, 2020
He is coming off a 7-5 season, where he posted a 4.28 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. In 107 1⁄3 innings, he struck out 128 and walked 32. His strikeout-per-nine of 10.7 was the highest of his career.
He’s been one of the better pitchers over the course of the last decade. Since 2010, he has gone 140-73 with a 3.24 ERA. Though he isn’t the pitcher of old, he’ll fit nicely into the starting rotation behind Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw.
There’s only a handful of true five-tool players in baseball, and Betts is one of them. The Dodgers now have three former MVPs on their team in Clayton Kershaw, Cody Bellinger and Betts. They have arguably the deepest lineup in baseball, and will likely become the new World Series favorites.
Kenta Maeda will be heading to the Minnesota Twins in the reported three-team deal.
#Dodgers sending RHP Kenta Maeda to #MNTwins for RHP Brusdar Graterol, who will be part of package going to #RedSox, source tells The Athletic.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 5, 2020
It appears that Joc Pederson and Ross Stripling will be heading to the Angels, as part of a different trade with Luis Rengifo part of the return.
Infielder Luis Rengifo is headed to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a deal for outfielder Joc Pederson, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 5, 2020
Source: Dodgers prospect OF Andy Pages will be heading to the Angels in the Joc Pederson deal, pending medical review. Pages hit 19 homers last year in rookie ball as an 18 year old (now 19) https://t.co/SoOMY9NKCT
— Kiley McDaniel (@kileymcd) February 5, 2020
The #Angels and #Dodgers still working to finalize their deal that now is expected to include Dodgers pitcher Ross Stripling. The Dodgers would send OF Joe Pederson and Stripling to the #Angels for middle infielder Luis Rengifo and two prospects. Still, a lot of moving parts.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) February 5, 2020