Report: Red Sox expected to listen to offseason offers for Betts
The Boston Red Sox may be on the verge of making a major offseason change to their roster.
There is a belief throughout baseball that the Red Sox will listen to trade offers for reigning AL MVP Mookie Betts this offseason, sources told Jon Morosi MLB Network on Friday.
The expectation stems from Boston's rotation struggles this season; the Red Sox own a 4.77 ERA as a group, tied with the Toronto Blue Jays for 20th in MLB.
A free agent following the 2020 campaign, Betts is reportedly seen as the club's best option to re-stock its pitching cache while also creating some financial flexibility within the league's loftiest payroll.
Betts, 26, rejected an eight-year, $200-million contract extension before the season with his sights set on free agency.
Speaking with FOX Sports, Morosi suggested the Atlanta Braves as a potential trade partner for Boston, citing the team's high volume of young pitching.
The Braves boast four of MLB Pipeline's top 100 prospects and two of them - Ian Anderson and Kyle Wright - are pitchers. Additionally, the likes of Max Fried, Touki Toussaint, and rookie-of-the-year candidate Mike Soroka have all recently graduated from their prospect statuses.
Morosi also highlighted Atlanta's top overall prospect, outfielder Cristian Pache, as a possible trade target.
Entering Friday, the Red Sox (61-56) trail the Tampa Bay Rays by 5 1/2 games for the American League's second wild-card spot.