Verdugo recalls Dodgers deal: 'At least I got traded for f------g Mookie Betts'

Getting traded is a tough pill to swallow. But when you're moved for one of the best in the league, as Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo was, it certainly makes it slightly easier.

"Honestly, I was upset about the trade," Verdugo told MassLive's Chris Cotillo. "I didn't think I was going to get traded from the Dodgers, and I didn't feel like I should have been the guy to get traded. Obviously, being traded, you do sit back and say, 'At least, I got traded for f------g Mookie Betts.'"

Verdugo was the key piece in a three-player haul with Jeter Downs and Connor Wong that sent Betts and David Price to the Dodgers prior to the 2020 season.

"But yeah, I never had that 'Holy shit!' moment," the outfielder added. "I just figured, shit, I got traded, man, this sucks. Then I came over here and was like, 'Holy shit, this was a blessing.' I love it over here. The Red Sox have been nothing but great to me, have taken care of me. From the teammates to the staff to the coaching, it has been amazing."

The 26-year-old has become a crucial member of a Red Sox club that improbably made it to the American League Championship Series last year. After a rough start to the 2022 campaign, Boston now sits atop the AL wild-card standings at 41-31, 11 games back of the division-leading New York Yankees.

Verdugo, who earned down-ballot MVP consideration in 2020, has somewhat struggled this season, hitting .251/.293/.373 - all career lows - with five homers over 66 contests.

Betts, meanwhile, looked to be headed toward MVP consideration in 2022, authoring a .884 OPS in 60 games before landing on the injured list with a fractured rib. The five-time All-Star won an MVP as a member of the Red Sox in 2018 and finished as the runner-up for the award in 2016.