The Boston Red Sox have taken a lot of heat for trading Mookie Betts and David Price to the Dodgers. Most of the vitriol has been focused on the fact that A) the team didn’t get as much in return as they should have, and B) it left a gaping hole in their pitching rotation. The main piece they received in return, and the only major league ready player, was Alex Verdugo, a kid who had a solid rookie campaign before back injuries cost him the last two months of the season.
Verdugo brought some off-field baggage with him to Boston, but because that’s irrelevant to the thesis of what follows and because I’ve already written that article, it won’t be discussed further.