Mookie Betts Trade Rumors: Red Sox Still Talking with Dodgers, Padres About Deal

The Boston Red Sox "continue to discuss the possibility" of dealing superstar Mookie Betts with "multiple suitors," according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe.

Per that report, "The team is weighing potential combinations of big leaguers and prospects offered by the San Diego Padres as well as the Los Angeles Dodgers, and remains engaged with both teams about the possibility of a deal involving their superstar right fielder."

Any trade talks regarding Betts appear to center on the Red Sox's desire to get under the $208 million luxury tax threshold. That could make the Dodgers interesting suitors, with Speier noting that Los Angeles could potentially consider also taking David Price and the $96 million total he's owed over the next three seasons. 

The Dodgers are also loaded with intriguing prospects. While Speier notes "the Dodgers likely would consider moving virtually anyone outside of middle infielder Gavin Lux (ranked the No. 4 prospect in the game in Baseball America's recent top-100 list) and right-hander Dustin May (ranked No. 20)," the team has other players who could make a potential deal work. 

Catcher Keibert Ruiz, right-hander Tony Gonsolin, right-hander Josiah Gray, infielder Jeter Downs and catcher Diego Cartaya are all considered top 100 prospects by Baseball America. Additionally, current MLB players like Alex Verdugo, Joc Pederson or A.J. Pollock could help sweeten the deal, per Speier. 

The Padres also have a deep farm system and could offer MLB players like Trent Grisham, Michel Baez, Cal Quantrill or Joey Lucchesi in any packages. 

Still, giving up on Betts is no light decision. He was the 2018 AL MVP, is a four-time All-Star and hit .295 in 2019 with 29 homers, 80 RBI, 135 runs, 16 stolen bases and a .915 OPS. Such is the level of his talent that his 2019 campaign could be considered a slight down year, especially after he hit .346 in 2018 with 32 homers, 80 RBI, 129 runs, 30 stolen bases and a 1.078 OPS. 

And giving up on both Betts and Price would be a pretty strong signal to fans that the team is far more interested in cutting payroll than winning titles, a tough pill to swallow considering the Red Sox are worth an estimated $3.2 billion, per Forbes. Only the New York Yankees ($4.6 billion) and the Dodgers ($3.3 billion) are reportedly worth more among MLB franchises. 

So the optics won't be great on trading Betts, even if he's due to become a free agent in 2020, but it's looking increasingly more likely to be a possibility.