Los Angeles Dodgers: Three different trades to make for Mookie Betts
By Jason Reed
Trade package #1: Joc Pederson, Dustin May, Jeter Downs
The first trade package that the Los Angeles Dodgers can attempt to put together for Mookie Betts is a package of an established big-league bat as well as two elite-level prospects that would be a nice return for Boston.
Let’s keep in mind, the Red Sox have leverage in this situation, but not a massive amount. They are going to get at least two elite prospects in this deal, but because Betts is in his last year and the Red Sox have not held their cards close to their chest, they are not going to get a crazy four-five top-30 prospect package that they would have a year ago.
With all things considered, this is a package to get excited about if you are a Red Sox fan, if you can stomach the team trading Betts in the first place. Right away the team gets a middle of the order left-handed bat in Joc Pederson, who slugged a career-high 36 home runs and 74 RBIs in 2019.
Pederson too is a free agent after this year and he may end up just being a filler. However, depending on how well he can thrive with that short left-field fence, the Red Sox could bring him back at a much cheaper cost than they would have Betts.
The players to get excited about for Boston are Dustin May and Jeter Downs. Although Dodger fans have fallen in love with May, the team can afford to trade him. The Dodgers still have two elite young arms in Walker Buehler and Julio Urias to be the aces moving forward and now have Tony Gonsolin to throw his name in the hat as well.
The Dodgers can easily field a five-man rotation with arms to spare without May. Meanwhile, the Red Sox get a potential future all-star that is big-league ready.
The final piece in this package is Jeter Downs, who is the Los Angeles Dodgers’ fifth-ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline and was acquired in the Yasiel Puig trade. The Dodgers are set at shortstop with Corey Seager and Gavin Lux and flipping someone they got for one year of Puig for Betts would be extremely savvy.