Red Sox send former AL MVP Mookie Betts to Dodgers in three-team trade

Mookie Betts of the Boston Red Sox reacts after hitting a home run during the sixth inning in Game 5 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, October 28, 2018. /VCG Photo

Three teams, the Boston Red Sox, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Minnesota Twins, on Tuesday finished a five-player deal that broke the silence of the MLB trade market in the off season.

The Dodgers traded outfielder Alex Verdugo to the Red Sox, pitcher Kenta Maeda to the Twins, and acquired outfielder Mookie Betts, starting pitcher David Price, both from the Red Sox. The Red Sox also landed pitcher Brusdar Graterol from the Twins.

The Dodgers have already won seven straight NL West Division titles by last season but also suffered two failures in the World Series in 2017 and 2018. They are desperate for a game-changer and finally have found it via Tuesday's trade: Mookie Betts.

As the 2018 AL MVP, Betts kept .295/.391/.524 and had 29 home runs in the 2019 season. He and 2019 NL MVP Cody Bellinger plus other sluggers of the Dodgers could again make the whole league tremble in front of their offense.

David Price of the Boston Red Sox pitches during the fifth inning in Game 5 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, October 28, 2018. /VCG Photo

The arrival of Price could shoulder off pressure from the Dodgers' ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw and help the team with his rich playoff experience. Besides, the Red Sox will play half of his salary, which made the deal seem even better.

The Red Sox managed to both cut down their salary burden and add more new blood to the team. There's a good chance for the team to lose draft picks thanks to the recent sign-stealing scandal and the Red Sox's heavy salaries.

Both Verdugo and Graterol are on the MLB's top 100 prospects list.

The Twins already had top offensive performance last season, which could be seen in their record-high 307 homers and 939 RBIs. One of the reasons behind their playoff losses was the pitching flaw. The team have been trying to fix that problem and Maeda is the latest piece they add to the puzzle.