Mookie Betts on former teammate Rafael Devers' surprise trade: ‘It's just crazy'
LOS ANGELES — As the San Francisco Giants scrambled 15 minutes before first pitch amid news they'd landed one homegrown, big name Boston Red Sox superstar in a trade that'll reverberate on Landsdowne Street for generations, the headliner of another jaw-dropping Red Sox trade sat in the opposing dugout.
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The Mookie Betts trade has company, with the Red Sox's stunner trade to deal Rafael Devers to the Giants on Sunday immediately drawing comparisons and flashbacks to Betts' move to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020 that has left an indelible mark on both franchises. Since Betts was sent to Los Angeles alongside David Price for Alex Verdugo, Connor Wong and Jeter Downs, several other core pieces from the Red Sox's 2018 World Series run have gone out the door.
Xander Bogaerts left for the San Diego Padres in free agency, and Chris Sale was dealt to the Atlanta Braves and subsequently won the NL Cy Young award in his first season.
Devers was the one to stay, inking a 10-year, $313.5 million contract extension. Two years later, Devers was gone, too, sent to San Francisco for Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks, Jose Bello and James Tibbs III.
'I just thought it was crazy,' said Betts, who will now share a division with both Bogaerts and Devers. 'Nothing really to say, it's just crazy.'
It is difficult to talk about the Devers deal without Betts, a deal that has seemingly had a cascading effect in tearing down the core of a title winner without much immediate payoff. The Red Sox have made the postseason just once in five seasons since Betts was traded. Betts was a pending free agent, unlike Devers, and was traded shortly before spring training rather than out of the blue in June. It's not a direct comparison. But it doesn't matter. Some emotions are still raw.
Not for Betts, the 2018 AL MVP who signed a 12-year, $365 million deal before his first game in a Dodgers uniform and has now won two World Series with the Dodgers.
'I genuinely don't care,' Betts said. 'It just is what it is.'
The Dodgers found out about the deal as the baseball world did. Harrison had been warming up for his scheduled start against Los Angeles some 15 minutes before first pitch, along with backup catcher Logan Porter. Except when Porter exited the bullpen, he was alone. The Giants alerted the Dodgers of the impending moves and pitching change before the first pitch. While the baseball world freaked out, the Dodgers took a series with a 5-4 win behind Andy Pages' three-run homer in the fifth inning.
A Giant swing from Andy! pic.twitter.com/VgPVTSlRHy
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 16, 2025
In taking the series, the Dodgers retained a two-game advantage in the NL West over the Giants, who have emerged as a surprise contender and appeared to assert that hot start with the deal to acquire a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger in Devers.
'I mean, they care, they want to win,' Betts said. 'Those guys over there are doing a great job of putting a team together and obviously, they want to win.'
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'They're going for it,' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. 'They put themselves in a position to make a run, and they got better.'
Betts said he had no plans to reach out to his former teammate for his reaction to the deal. They'll see each other plenty over the ensuing months and years. The Dodgers head to San Francisco for the first time on July 11.
'I'll see him real soon and I'll be laughing and joking with him as I always do,' Betts said.
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CBS News
25 minutes ago
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