Betts now a Dodger after six seasons with Red Sox

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox made a blockbuster trade earlier in February that sent shockwaves throughout the MLB landscape.

On Feb. 4, reports started coming out that right fielder and former MVP Mookie Betts was traded from Boston to LA.

https://twitter.com/SportsNetLA/status/1227027065259487233

On Sunday, the trade was confirmed and David Price, as well as Betts, were officially Dodgers.

While it’s a great move for Los Angeles, Boston fans were left shocked by the move.

Why Boston decided to make the move to deal Mookie

Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom addressed the media for the first time on Monday since the trade. He discussed many things, including the entire process of the trade, and the reasons behind it:

"You can’t be afraid to do something you think is right in the big picture."

Chaim Bloom's first big move in charge of the Red Sox was made official last night. He explained the decision to trade Mookie Betts and David Price to the Dodgers: https://t.co/AB6MbOn24j

— Steve Hewitt (@steve_hewitt) February 11, 2020

Bloom stated the organization realized the fan backlash for dealing Betts would be there. But he said that he was focused on the big picture for the franchise.

Bloom’s experience with the Rays has helped him realize that long-term success isn’t built quickly. It’s a process to build a team with successful longevity.

In exchange for Betts and Price, the Red Sox acquired three players from the Dodgers. Starting outfielder Alex Verdugo, a highly touted middle-infielder in Jeter Downs (ranked No. 44 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects) and a power-hitting catching prospect in Connor Wong.

The expectation for the team is to compete now, according to Bloom. Boston missed the playoffs in 2019 after going 84-78. Obviously the hope is to win now, but after last season, the organization had to keep its long-term future as first priority.

Dodgers hope to push deeper into playoffs with Betts

The LA Dodgers went 106-56 last season, and they were elite amongst MLB teams.

That was until the Washington Nationals knocked out the Dodgers in the NLDS. Yes, the Nationals went on to win the World Series, but the Dodgers had the team to potentially win the World Series itself.

WEST COAST, BETTS COAST.

Welcome to LA, @mookiebetts and @DAVIDprice24! pic.twitter.com/xxtuvDQMIM

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) February 11, 2020

One of the best rosters in the MLB just got even better. Now’s the time for the Dodgers to cash in and win its first World Series since 1988.