Just before the COVID-19 pandemic flipped the world on its head in early 2020, the Los Angeles Dodgers pulled off a blockbuster trade that shook the landscape of Major League Baseball.

On Feb. 9, 2020, the Dodgers landed shortstop Mookie Betts and left-hander David Price in a trade with the Boston Red Sox in exchange for outfielder Alex Verdugo, shortstop Jeter Downs and catcher Connor Wong. Looking back, Bleacher Report calls this trade one of the 15 most lopsided MLBoffseason trades of the last decade.

Advertisement

“It’s highly unlikely the Red Sox were ever going to get equivalent value back in a Mookie Betts trade, and part of the takeaway from this package was offloading a significant chunk of the $96 million still owed to David Price,” it wrote.

“However, this trade ended up being an absolute bust for Boston. Alex Verdugo never took the step forward many were expecting after a solid start to his career in Los Angeles. He had a modest 105 OPS+ and 8.1 WAR over four seasons before he was traded to the rival Yankees. Shortstop Jeter Downs was a consensus Top 100 prospect heading into the 2020 season, but he hit .190 with 131 strikeouts in 99 games at Triple-A in his first season in the Red Sox organization and played a grand total of 14 games in the big leagues in Boston.

The only return piece still standing is catcher Connor Wong,” it added. “Who had a solid 2024 season as the starter before sliding behind Carlos Narváez on the depth chart.

Because of the pandemic, Betts’ first year in a Dodgers uniform was faced with an unprecedented challenge as the MLB season began on July 23, 2020, and was limited to a 60-game regular season slate. Betts and the Dodgers played in empty stadiums and had to play the World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas due to the restrictions. Despite all of it, Betts finished his first season in Los Angeles as a World Series champion.

Advertisement

“Betts signed a 12-year, $365 million extension midway through his first season with the Dodgers, and he has 32.7 WAR and three World Series rings to show for his first six seasons in Los Angeles.”

Remember to join our DODGERS on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Dodgers fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that’s free too.