thelesterlee
In 2018, the Boston Red Sox finished with a 108-54 record and won the World Series. They were equipped with the talent to form a dynasty that celebrated championships year after year. As a Yankees fan, I was disgusted.
Also, they were probably cheating and their manager, Alex Cora, was a little snake and blah blah fuck the Red Sox.
But then Boston traded Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020 in exchange for some at-home Covid exams and Papa John’s gift card. From my understanding, the front office didn’t believe they were capable of affording Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers. The Red Sox ownership group owns several sports franchises including Liverpool and the Pittsburgh Penguins so they have no desire to pay luxury taxes on a baseball team that only exists as a small portion of their overall portfolio.
That Mookie Betts trade looks nasty after Xander Bogaerts and the San Diego Padres agreed to an 11-year $280 million contract. 30-year-old Bogaerts is coming off his 4th All-Star selection and finished in the top 10 of MVP voting.
Here’s what his 2022 season looked like:
- 15 homers
- 73 RBIs
- 171 hits
- 84 runs
- .307 batting average
- .377 on-base percentage
- .456 slugging
- .833 OPS
- 134 wRC+
Bogaerts is the type of guy you build a franchise around. A homegrown talent that’s beloved by the fans and could’ve probably been re-signed at a cheaper price tag if Boston didn’t play games and allow him to hit the free agent market.
Your star player should never even get the opportunity to talk to other teams. They shouldn’t know other teams exist. You keep him in a dark room and sign him to whatever he wants before the Padres comment moneybag emojis under all of their Instagram pics.
But this is who the Red Sox have always been. They traded two of the greatest outfielders in MLB history—Mookie Betts and Manny Ramirez—to the Dodgers when they didn’t feel like paying them. Jon Lester’s time in Boston ended unceremoniously. And now Xander joins the Padres shortstop factory with Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr all wanting to play one singular position.
The Yankees, Blue Jays and Rays all made the playoffs last season. The Baltimore Orioles perennial rebuild is finally taking form and they look to actually compete and win games next season. And the Red Sox and playing footsie with free agent, JD Martinez, right now as they enter the 2023 MLB season as the objective worst team in the AL East.
But if you’re a Boston fan, don’t feel too bad. Your favorite team is paying Trevor Story $20 million to replace Bogaerts at shortstop this season. Last season, Story struck out 4 more times than Bogaerts in literally 200 fewer at-bats. Laugh out loud.
Rafael Devers is 1000% playing for another team in 2024.
Do the Boston Red Sox know something we don’t know and secretly made a great Mookie Betts Xander Bogaerts decision? Leave a comment below. Respond on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Or shoot me an email at Deadseriousmailbag@gmail.com. Let’s chat, bay-beeeee. Let me know if you think the Red Sox are going to fail miserably without, ya know, stars.
