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Trade Proposal: Boston Red Sox trade RF Mookie Betts to the Cincinnati Reds for RHP Tony Santillan, IF Jonathan India, LHP Cody Reed, OF Jameson Hannah, RHP James Marinan

Why it Makes Sense for the Red Sox

The Red Sox appear to be focused on avoiding the luxury-tax threshold next year, which will mean significant payroll slashing this offseason, especially if J.D. Martinez decides to opt into the remaining three years of his deal.

With a $27.7 million projected salary in his final year of arbitration and an insistence on testing the open market once he does reach free agency, Betts could find himself squarely on the trade block this winter.

The Red Sox finished the 2019 season in the No. 30 spot in B/R's farm system rankings. While Betts' status as a rental will ultimately limit his value, he'll still fetch a huge return to help bolster the system.

Why it Makes Sense for the Reds

"The goal for us now, all we're talking about is the postseason," Reds general manager Dick Williams told reporters earlier this month. "That's what matters. That's the goal next year. It's not taking incremental steps in a rebuild. It's about the postseason."

He also came right out and said that the team's payroll will be higher next year.

That certainly sounds like a team that is gearing up for a busy offseason, and adding Betts to the mix would be a huge boon to Cincinnati's playoff chances. The Reds could slot him in center field, which would allow Nick Senzel to move back onto the dirt as the primary second baseman.

Parting with Santillan (No. 3 prospect) and India (No. 4 prospect) would be a steep price to pay for a one-year rental, but there's a lot of uncertainty in the NL Central right now. This could be the Reds' chance to seize a golden opportunity.

All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs, unless otherwise noted.

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