It wasn’t so much that the Red Sox decided to trade Mookie Betts. It’s probably closer to the mark that they were resigned to trading him, this after concluding there was no way they’d be able to keep their perennial All-Star right fielder beyond 2020.



If you’re a wise, ledger-savvy Red Sox follower with a grasp of the business side of baseball — and that’s practically a requirement for all sports fans these days, is it not? — perhaps you’ll make your peace with the deal, if only grudgingly. You’ll agree, or hope, that the prospects Boston has received from the Los Angeles Dodgers for Betts and David Price on Tuesday — Dodgers outfielder Alex Verdugo and Twins pitcher Brusdar Graterol — become key ingredients in a rebooted Red Sox future. All teams need to rebuild. Maybe it’s just Boston’s turn. Right?



But wait a minute. While making this deal might work out on multiple levels —...