Mookie Betts Trade Makes Sox Fans Question Fandom

Late on Tuesday February 4th, the Boston Red Sox did the unthinkable pull the trigger on a trade shipping their franchise player to Los Angeles to join the Dodgers. Fellow 2018 World Series champion, pitcher David Price, will join Betts in Chavez Ravine, but is far from the headliner. Mookie Betts signaled something the Boston Red Sox never truly had, a homegrown talent who was arguably the face of the Major Leagues. Betts versatility and supreme talent allowed him to flourish outside of his natural position of 2nd base as the Red Sox MVP-caliber right fielder at a difficult and quirky Fenway Park. From hitting leadoff homeruns and clutch grand slams to making game-saving catches and smart base-running Mookie Betts was the heart of the Boston Red Sox and the main cog in their historic 2018 title run. The three-team deal which Boston completed with the Dodgers and the Minnesota Twins brings back some intriguing talent in outfielder Alex Verdugo and pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol, but their impact will never match that of Mookie Betts. With John Henry and the rest of Red Sox ownership in the Fenway Sports Group approving this deal they are sending a big "fuck you" to Red Sox fans. Sure Betts was due for a monumental raise once his contract expires at season's end but it was well deserved. Without debate Betts is at minimum a top three player in all of the MLB and should be compensated as well as baseball's best, Angels outfielder Mike Trout. Betts has bested Trout in several statistical categories over his career and he is the type of player any franchise should pull out all stops to keep. This is even more true for the BOSTON RED SOX. They are not the Kansas City Royals or Tampa Bay Rays who can cry poor and have pathetic attendance figures. Fenway Park still fills up despite the cold, uncomfortable seats, and regardless if the Red Sox have put a good team on the field. New chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, John Henry, Tom Werner, and the entire organization should be embarrassed by trading Betts and will absolutely regret it. It is a public relations nightmare in a city and region of New England where winning or at the very least competitiveness is expected and craved. Yes the ownership group has delivered four World Series crowns since 2004, but they should be pushing for numbers five, six, and seven now not later. Rafael Devers, Andrew Benintendi, Xander Bogaerts, Michael Chavis are among a very young very talented core that Mookie Betts should be leading to multiple championships. Boston will still have one of the best offenses in baseball, but the trade of Betts and Price along with budget signings such as Martin Perez and Jose Peraza signal waiving a white flag rather than a ramp up to a pennant race. These are tough times to be a Red Sox fan especially when the American League East is filled with exciting talents such as Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr in Toronto, Gerrit Cole and Gleyber Torres in New York, and a phenomenal rotation in Chaim Bloom's old stomping grounds of Tampa Bay. Bottom-line is the Red Sox multi-billionaire owners care more about their wallets than their fans or remaining competitive and that is a disheartening change from previous seasons under Henry and Co's tenure. Mookie Betts is gone from Boston, David Price is gone from Boston, and so is the Red Sox drive and determination to compete.