The Boston Red Sox finished up their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the return of Mookie Betts to Boston. Betts had a great game in Sunday’s game, recording three hits including a two-run home run. Upon hitting the home run, WEEI play-by-play announcer Sean McDonough revisited the Red Sox decision to trade Betts to Los Angeles back in 2020 blasting the organization for the move.
After spending the first six years of his career with the Red Sox, the team decided to trade him and David Price to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Alex Verdugo, Connor Wong, and Jeter Downs.
Verdugo and Wong have gone on to be solid contributors for the Red Sox. But the move was a terrific one for the Dodgers, as Betts has remained one of the best hitters in baseball, and was a key contributor in a 2020 World Series Championship for Los Angeles.
Betts is also in the midst of perhaps his best season since 2018 when he was named the American League MVP. He is currently slashing .312/406./.605 with 34 home runs and 90 RBIs.
He reminded the Red Sox just how good he is in his return to Boston this weekend, recording seven hits in the series, including his home run on Sunday.
McDonough spoke about the Red Sox’s decision to trade Betts on-air once Betts hit the home run in Sunday’s game, calling the move a “trade that can never be defended”.
“It’s a trade that can never be defended and a stain that will never be erased, the trade of Mookie Betts by the Red Sox,” said McDonough transcribed by NBC Sports Boston reporter John Tomase on Twitter.
Sean McDonough didn't mince words on WEEI broadcast after Mookie Betts homered. "It's a trade that can never be defended and a stain that will never be erased, the trade of Mookie Betts by the Red Sox."
— John Tomase (@jtomase) August 27, 2023
Betts clearly has plenty of great years ahead of him, and the Red Sox will not benefit from that largely because they didn’t want to pay him what he deserved, opting to trade him while they still could.
Considering the Red Sox are fighting to stay in the AL playoff race while the Dodgers are almost a lock to be a playoff team this year, it seems pretty clear who got the better of this trade…
