There's a chance the Boston Red Sox report to spring training in Lee County, Florida, without Mookie Betts in February.
The Red Sox will listen to trade offers for the 2018 American League MVP in an attempt to kick-start a farm system rebuild, sources told ESPN's Joon Lee.
Boston's system includes just one prospect in MLB Pipeline's top 100.
The asking price for Betts will be high, as the Red Sox require multiple highly touted prospects in return for the outfielder, according to Lee.
Perhaps influencing the team's decision is the fact that Betts is eligible for free agency after next season and the Red Sox, who remain motivated to get under the luxury-tax threshold, may not be able to afford him, Lee adds.
Betts could fetch more in free agency than the $426.5-million payout Mike Trout received and possibly become the first player to sign for $500 million, an executive told The Athletic's Jayson Stark earlier this year.
The 26-year-old apparently turned down an eight-year, $200-million offer from Boston before his first arbitration case two offseasons ago and told reporters in March that he "didn't expect anything to happen until I'm a free agent."
While Betts has said on numerous occasions that he loves playing for the Red Sox, the four-time All-Star clarified earlier this year that he wouldn't sell himself short simply because of that passion.
Betts has accrued more WAR over the past two seasons than any player except for Trout, according to FanGraphs.
