Los Angeles Dodgers: How the Angels can take Mookie Betts away

The Los Angeles Dodgers are currently in trade talks with the Boston Red Sox for Mookie Betts but could be thwarted by their cross-freeway foe.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have not made any moves yet this offseason, which seemingly is building up to one massive move that will shake the foundation of MLB, at least that is what some fans are hoping for.

The latest blockbuster trade that could happen is for Mookie Betts. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported on Tuesday that the Dodgers were engaged in trade talks for Betts, whose contract expires after this season and likely won’t sign an extension with the Red Sox.

This trade comes in two parts for the Red Sox. First, if there is any doubt that the team will extend Betts, it is smart to trade him before his contract is up to get something out of him. Second of all, the team is over the luxury tax threshold and trading Betts would get them under.

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That is where the Los Angeles Angels can come in and ruin things for the Dodgers.

The Angels are not players to trade for Betts. The team needs pitching and cannot afford to take in another big contract and does not have the prospects to trade for Betts. However, trading for Betts is not the way that the Angels can play spoilers for the Dodgers.

The other massive contract that the Red Sox are looking to get rid of is David Price, who has three years remaining on his deal with a salary of $32 million each year. While they would be giving up more years in Price, they would be giving up someone who is past his prime.

At this point in the offseason, the Angels need any starting pitching that they can get and would be able to get Price for a reasonable price (get it) because of the Red Sox insistence to get under the luxury tax.

Nightengale then Tweeted the obvious — that the Red Sox would prefer to move Price instead of Betts to get under the tax threshold. He did state that the Red Sox are all ears, but this would absolutely diminish the chances of Betts being traded before the season began.

Then, we would likely have a Manny Machado situation with the Baltimore Orioles. The Red Sox would likely hold onto Betts and if the team is back to being in contention it would not be shocking to see them hold onto Betts to make another World Series push.

If they are not in contention then they could trade him at the deadline. That is not a guarantee and by that point, there will be more suitors as the cost for half of season of Betts is less than a full season of Betts.

So if the Los Angeles Angels come in and agree to take on Price’s salary then the Los Angeles Dodgers likely won’t even get a chance to trade for Betts, unless they send a package that blows the Red Sox away, which would only even happen if the Dodgers were sure that Betts would sign an extension.

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So let’s hope that the Angels don’t like Price and don’t want to trade for him. If they do, it will be another reason to despise the freeway foe.

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