Playing nine innings while officially declaring Mookie Betts a bargain …
1. The price the Red Sox paid to acquire 25-year-old lefthander Garrett Crochet and his filthy repertoire from the White Sox on Wednesday was steep, without a doubt. But it was not nearly as steep as it could have been, and it’s a trade that chief baseball officer Craig Breslow had to make after so many honorable-mention finishes in pursuit of the top free agents. This is a bold move, and at last, an encouraging one about the direction of the recently stagnated franchise.