Mookie Betts to the Dodgers makes them sound like hummingbirds
Mookie Betts could be headed to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have shown interest, but their talk is making them seem like hummingbirds.
Mookie Betts is one of the best players in the game, and he is on the level just below Mike Trout. But the Los Angeles Dodgers don’t seem to want to pay the price for him.
The USA Today reported that the Dodgers have “engaged in exploratory trade talks” with the Red Sox about the former American League MVP.
But just a matter of days ago, reports said that the Dodgers are more focused on acquiring Francisco Lindor, which is why they missed out on his ex-teammate Corey Kluber.
So, who are they really focused on?
Their talks this offseason are starting to make them seem like hummingbirds. I use this term because hummingbirds buzz around but accomplish little.
Los Angeles has been in a lot of trade talks and free agents, but haven’t done much at all.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a big market team. They have stars on their team–Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, Walker Buehler–but they haven’t paid free agents or made huge trades like a World Series contender tends to do.
Just look at the recent World Series champions. The 2019 champion Washington Nationals signed Patrick Corbin to a $140 million deal to add to their strong rotation before the season. The 2018 Red Sox signed J.D. Martinez before they won it all. In 2017, the Houston Astros traded for a frontline starter, Justin Verlander, who some say was the reason why they were able to win the World Series over the Dodgers.
The common theme is each of the recent World Series champions knew that they had a talented team but needed that one guy to get them over the hump, and they made the move. But the Dodgers have failed to add that one guy to get them over the top.
Recent history isn’t in the Dodgers favor, but will it change?
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
If you look at last offseason, the Dodgers went out and signed A.J. Pollock to a $55 million contract to lure him away from the Arizona Diamondbacks, but he went on to go for 0-14 in the postseason this year.
His WAR was 0.2 in 2019, which explains the absence of production that was there for a guy the Dodgers are paying over half $100 million.
My point is Pollock is currently the owner of the biggest contract given out to a player coming from a different club on the roster. For the Dodgers to get over the hump, they need to actually acquire star players.
I understand that Pollock was coming off a good year, but everyone talks about how the Dodgers are going to land a big free agent every winter and they never seem to do so. All they have done this year is sign Blake Treinen, who got kicked out of his closer role in 2019 with the Oakland Athletics.
Anthony Rendon was rumored to be an interest of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but they never made an offer. They failed to give Gerrit Cole anywhere near the $324 million he got from the Yankees.
Mookie Betts and Francisco Lindor could be acquired through trades, but they fall under the category of superstar players that have been thrown around in rumors surrounding the Dodgers.
So, will they fail to match up with Boston or Cleveland like they have failed to match up with the big free agents in recent winters?
dark. Next. Leave Hunter Dozier alone
It’s up to Andrew Friedman and you’ll know the answer by the end of the offseason, but if I wouldn’t get too excited if I was a fan because the Dodgers just seem like a hummingbird–buzzing around but accomplishing little.