Red Sox's Updated Lineup, Starting Rotation Post-Mookie Betts, David Price Trade

The Boston Red Sox agreed Tuesday to trade right fielder Mookie Betts and left-handed starting pitcher David Price to the Los Angeles Dodgers "pending medical reviews," per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Outfielder Alex Verdugo and pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol are going to the Sox, according to Passan, while Dodgers starting pitcher Kenta Maeda is headed to the Minnesota Twins in the three-team deal.

Betts, 27, has been with the Red Sox since they drafted him with a fifth-round pick in 2011. He joined the bigs in 2014 and has hit .301 with 139 home runs and 470 RBI. The right fielder has made four All-Star Games and won the 2018 American League MVP en route leading the Sox to a World Series win. Betts was set to become a free agent after the 2020 season.

Price, 34, has spent the last four seasons with the Red Sox after signing a seven-year, $217 million contract. Moving on from Price was largely a financial decision, as the declining lefty has three years and $96 million remaining on his deal.

Boston's lineup and rotation will be vastly different in 2020 without those two. Here's how it might look:

Lineup Projection

1. RF Alex Verdugo

2. SS Xander Bogaerts

3. 3B Rafael Devers

4. DH JD Martinez

5. LF Andrew Benintendi

6. 2B Michael Chavis

7. 1B Mitch Moreland

8. C Christian Vazquez

9. CF Jackie Bradley Jr.

Starting Rotation Projection

Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe provided the first crack at how the starting five should look, with staff ace Chris Sale leading the way:

Lineup Review

Alex Verdugo showed plenty of promise last year with 12 home runs and 44 RBI to go with a .294 batting average. He also had a .817 OPS in 106 games.

The top half of the Red Sox lineup still looks strong. Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts both hit over .300 last year, and J.D. Martinez paced the Sox with 36 homers.

Andrew Benintendi had a down year at the dish and saw his batting average dip from .290 to .266, but a resurgence is certainly possible for a player who had a .830 OPS in 2018.

Michael Chavis and Mitch Moreland should provide some pop near the end of the lineup, with the former player smacking 18 homers in only 95 games last year. The same goes for catcher Christian Vazquez, who broke out with 23 dingers in 2019.

Jackie Bradley Jr. is more known for his defensive prowess, as he's hit only .234 over his last three years. But the 2018 Gold Glove winner hasn't missed a beat patrolling center field for the Sox.

Replacing Betts' production will be difficult if not impossible, and the Sox will struggle to keep pace with more powerful lineups such as the rival New York Yankees. But the Boston lineup is still one of the better ones in the American League.

Rotation Review

The Red Sox starting rotation is filled with question marks from the top on down.

Chris Sale was of the game's best pitchers in the 2010s, but he went only 6-11 with a career-worst 4.40 ERA during an injury-shortened 2019 campaign. He allowed five or more earned runs seven times in 25 starts after doing so just once the year before.

Sale returning anywhere close to his 2018 form, when he dominated to the tune of 237 strikeouts and a 2.11 ERA, would be a huge boost to Boston's pitching staff.

Eduardo Rodriguez was Boston's best pitcher last year and should hold down the second spot in the rotation. The 26-year-old put it all together after showing glimpses in seasons past by going 19-6 with a 3.81 ERA and 213 strikeouts in 203.1 innings.

Bigger concerns exist in the middle and back half of the rotation.

Nathan Eovaldi was sensational as a reliever for the Sox in 2018, but he struggled as a starter in 2019, allowing 16 home runs in only 67.2 innings. He also posted a 5.99 ERA.

Martin Perez, who played with the Minnesota Twins last year, assumes the fourth spot. He's had a 5.49 ERA over the last two years, striking out 187 batters in 250.2 innings.

The last spot will be taken by an unknown player or perhaps involve a revolving door of openers, per Abraham.