"We made our best and final offer to Mookie in the spring of 2019. Once that door closed, we pivoted to other investments. In July 2019, we nearly traded Mookie to the Dodgers for a better return than what we'd ultimately get." - Zack Scott
Prior to the trade, Boston did settle with Betts in salary arbitration for $20 million in January 2019. The fact that both sides went to arbitration indicates the complexity of the contract situation and the challenges the team faced in negotiations.
The Red Sox eventually sent Betts and David Price to Los Angeles in February 2020 and received Alex Verdugo and then-prospects Connor Wong and Jeter Downs in return, ultimately reshaping their roster.
A former executive revealed that the decision to invest in Chris Sale instead of Mookie Betts was influenced by the organization’s realization that they wouldn’t be able to retain Betts.
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