Mookie Betts’ success in Dodger blue should have Sox fans seeing red

The only thing missing were the take-out containers of Dominican food that Ortiz always had waiting for him after games.

At 32 years old, Betts is on top of his sport. He is an eight-time All-Star who was playing for his third World Series ring in five seasons on Tuesday night when the Dodgers faced the Yankees in Game 4.

It took Babe Ruth eight years to win his second ring with the Yankees after the Red Sox foolishly traded him to New York.

Betts was 0 for 6 in the first two Division Series games against the Padres this season. He went on to hit 16 of 49 (.327) with eight extra base hits, 11 runs and 14 RBIs in the next 12 games, nine of which the Dodgers won.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday that Betts was on the Mount Rushmore of players he has managed, based on both his character and talent.

“It’s about getting the right players, the right people. Talent is a lot, but it’s not everything,” Roberts said. “You still have to be coherent. I just think we’re doing a good job of getting the right players in our clubhouse.”

In 2018, when Betts and the Red Sox defeated the Dodgers in the World Series, Roberts couldn’t have imagined he’d have Betts on his roster two years later.

He praised owner Mark Walter and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman for prioritizing winning.

“They’re going to do everything they can to give us the best ball club we can so we can win a championship every year,” Roberts said.

At the time of the trade it was the Sox painted their decision as a choice between paying Betts before he became a free agent or acquiring “substantial young talent for years to come.”

That talent turned out to be Jeter Downs, Alex Verdugo and Connor Wong, and it wasn’t very substantial.

Downs was bankrupt and was released by the Sox after 14 games. Last season he played in Japan. Verdugo is a league-average outfielder who now plays for the Yankees after the Sox grew tired of his character issues and traded him.

Wong is a reliable catcher who could soon be a reliable utility player once catcher Kyle Teel reaches the majors.

Righthander Brusdar Graterol was originally in the deal, but the Sox were wary of his medical records and changed the trade. Graterol has since posted a 2.69 ERA in 178 games for the Dodgers and had a 1.59 ERA in 23 postseason games through Game 3.

The Sox are two games under .500 since trading Betts, making the playoffs once every five seasons while cutting payroll and making annual promises for better days ahead.

One can only speculate as to what would have been different if the Sox had built their team around Betts. For now, their fans are watching him play big games for another team in October.

---

Peter Abraham can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @PeteAbe.