In their quest to add another frontline-caliber player to the roster this past offseason, the Los Angeles Dodgers explored options on both the free agent and trade markets before reaching a deal to acquire Mookie Betts from the Boston Red Sox.
The addition of Betts gave the Dodgers a third former MVP winner and another strong presence in the clubhouse. He has been nothing short of spectacular in his first season with the organization and figures to factor into the National League MVP race.
While it was a lengthy process to finalize their trade for Betts, the Dodgers weren’t the only team that attempted to acquire him.
During an appearance on the “R2C2 with CC Sabathia and Ryan Ruocco” podcast, the 27-year-old revealed the San Diego Padres made a strong push for him before the Dodgers sealed the deal:
“It went down to San Diego and here. … It was just those two teams. It was a cool process, actually. It seemed like everybody was on the same page. The Red Sox front office did a great job of talking through everything; it wasn’t just like, boom, trade, on Twitter. They said, ‘Hey, if something makes sense, I think we’ll pull the trigger.’ That’s pretty much it. The Red Sox did a really good job with it. I thought it was going to be way worse. I was actually hitting when the trigger was finally pulled. I thought it was going to hurt. It hurt initially, but I think a couple days later I was like, ‘OK, I have to get ready to go to AZ.’”
Though the Padres came up short in acquiring Betts, they remained very active on the trade market over recent months. The club completed more than a half-dozen deals prior to the Aug. 31 trade deadline, bringing in the likes of Mike Clevinger and Trevor Rosenthal.
The Padres went on to clinch their first playoff berth since 2006 and defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in three games in the Wild Series. That put them in the NL Division Series for a matchup with the Dodgers, who swept the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Dodgers, of course, signed Betts to a record-breaking 12-year contract extension prior to Opening Day and went on to clinch an unprecedented eighth consecutive NL West title.
Betts made immediate impact in postseason
When the Dodgers traded for Betts, it was with a clear eye on the playoffs and ending the franchise’s World Series drought.
After a successful regular season, Betts certainly has produced in the playoffs thus far. He went 3-for-7 with three doubles, one walk and three RBI against the Brewers.
“He’s definitely as good as advertised,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
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