The Boston clubhouse remains gloomy at the moment. They must be regretting the decision they made back in 2019. The Mookie Betts trade was meant to be transformative, right? At least, that’s what the front office expected when they traded the outfielder. But what do they get in return? Well, probably not much to boast of. The Red Sox are currently standing fourth in the American League East with a 27-31 record. That tells the whole story, no?

Well, probably that’s why they should have revisited the decision to trade Betts. They now have a win-loss ratio of 464-464 since 2018. While the decision continues to haunt them, let’s not forget that it wasn’t merely a Boston call, was it? It was Betts who, after spending five years with the Red Sox, rejected the offer for an extension of his contract. And later he joined hands with the Los Angeles Dodgers for a 12-year, $365 million contract.

Taking a dig at the team in an interview with USA Today, Betts said, “I think I would have been really good, but I never had the opportunity; I couldn’t throw then, either; nobody told me how to throw then. And for myself, I didn’t think I could do it either. There was no positivity instilled in me.”

Well, we aren’t sitting here to judge either of them on the basis of his statement. However, it cannot be denied either that the Red Sox has been a mess. No doubt, after letting go of Betts, all the attention turned toward Rafael Devers. The third baseman signed for a ten-year, $313 million extension in 2023. That was a big opportunity for the franchise to rebuild. But guess what?

Devers had to change positions every now and then. And recently, with the inclusion of Alex Bregman, he had to shift from his third base to accommodate Bregman.

Mookie Betts, on the other hand, never had that problem. He is able to switch between right field and second base, as well as shortstop and back for the Dodgers. And that’s the reason Betts has the best defensive metrics this season.

Six years down the road, the Boston Red Sox are still unable to see the face of a World Series title since their last win in 2018. Call it the trade’s remorse or their inability to fill the gap in their outfield; reasons are plenty to justify why the Betts decision is still regarded as one of the worst decisions made by them.

Mookie Betts dazzling on the field for the Dodgers

Ever since Mookie Betts got traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Los Angeles Dodgers, he’s been a different player. The three-time World Series champion has been delivering consistent quality at-bats. Add to that the defensive skills that he is showing in the shortstop position as well. It’s a massive feat for someone who has played in the outfield for most of his career, isn’t it?

“Mookie Betts is on pace for 24 HR, 93 RBI, and 5.1 fWAR—all while playing Gold Glove caliber defense at shortstop. Would you be happy with those results?” the MLB insider Blake Harris recently wrote on social media.

Well, we aren’t going to drop it either. If you remember, despite his early struggles this season and getting sidelined due to a stomachache in March, Betts came back strong and delivered.

He has posted eight home runs and 31 RBIs, batting at an average of .254 with a .338 OBP and a .743 OPS this season. More importantly, with the Dodgers riding high on success, we are going to see more of Betts. He is likely to continue to remain productive with his effective on-base skills and scoring runs and will be one of the cornerstones for the Dodgers in the upcoming games as well.