2020 Fantasy Baseball Impact: Mookie Betts Traded to Dodgers

Fantasy Baseball Expert Dr. Roto discusses the impact of the three-team trade that sent superstar Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers!

February 5, 2020 Dr. Roto Season Long – All Sports, Season Long – MLB

Daily Dr. Roto—February 5, 2020

Big Baseball Trade Aftermath

The Red Sox finally traded OF Mookie Betts on Tuesday to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The deal turned out to be a three-way trade with the Minnesota Twins. Let’s take a closer look and see how all the teams fared.

Boston Red Sox

Traded: OF Mookie Betts and SP David Price 

Received: OF Alex Verdugo and RP Brusdar Graterol

Analysis: The Red Sox knew that they had to move Betts this season because they felt strongly that he was not going to resign with the team next year when he hit free agency. So, they proactively signed him to a one-year contract a few weeks ago and then shipped him off to Los Angeles before spring training. The bigger part in this deal is that the Red Sox forced the Dodgers to take David Price’s overblown contract (he’s owed $96 million) in the trade. I know it seems like the Red Sox lost in the deal, but just by getting rid of Price, they did well. 

As for the players they received, OF Alex Verdugo was once the Dodgers most highly touted outfield prospect. He was injured at the end of last year with oblique and back issues, but he should be a starter for the Red Sox. Verdugo has power and speed, but I think the Dodgers originally saw him as a potential 30/30 talent when he is more of a 20/20 type player.

Graterol might be the steal of the deal for the Red Sox. He is a two-pitch pitcher who throws extremely hard. He lacks a third pitch, which will probably send him to the bullpen. There are some analysts who feel that Graterol could emerge as a potential closer for the Red Sox. If that comes to fruition, the Red Sox will be ecstatic with how the trade worked out.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Traded: OF Alex Verdugo and SP Kenta Maeda

Received: OF Mookie Betts and SP David Price

Analysis: The Dodgers made a huge move to get Betts and it should pay off with a World Series appearance in 2020. Betts is about to become a free agent in 2020 and the Dodgers are going to open their piggy banks to pay him. There is nothing he can’t do on both offense and defense. I would argue that he is a top-three overall talent in baseball. Just like the Yankees did with Gerrit Cole, these types of marquee players do not come available that often, so teams need to step up and make the deal when possible. The cost of Betts was not trading Verdugo (who the Dodgers had soured on anyway), it was eating the horrible contract of David Price. However, if the Dodgers win the World Series, Price’s contract will be meaningless in the long run. 

Minnesota Twins

Traded: RP Brusdar Graterol

Received: SP Kenta Maeda

Analysis: While the Twins ideally would have liked to have kept Graterol’s arm in their bullpen, there was no way that they were going to pass up on getting SP Kenta Maeda. Maeda will be a rock-solid addition to Minnesota’s starting rotation, and he has the playoff experience that the Twins’ pitching staff has lacked. Maeda is never going to be a huge innings eater, but the Twins will be happy if he gives them 140 IP during the regular season and another five or six great starts in the playoffs.   

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