Mookie Betts trade could help Phillies bounce back in 2020
By Dan Parzych
If the Boston Red Sox end up trying to trade Mookie Betts, could the Philadelphia Phillies be a potential landing spot for the outfielder?
While the Philadelphia Phillies continue to wonder what could have been if the team earned a trip to the playoffs, there’s also been plenty of rumors already over what potential moves could be made in the offseason, including Mookie Betts.
From a talent perspective, Betts has quickly worked his way into becoming one of the best outfielders in baseball since the 2014 season, and it’s tough to imagine what the previous six years would have been like in Boston without him.
But just like every other professional sport, money always seems to come into play at some point, and with Betts entering the final year of his contract, talk has started to heat up over the possibility of the Red Sox trading the outfielder this offseason.
Of course, all of this is simply just talk at the moment, and nothing is set in stone, but with the Phillies already finding themselves in the rumor mill of a potential landing spot, it’s difficult not to wonder about the possibility.
Last offseason, Philadelphia was considered one of the big winners in free agency after winning the Bryce Harper sweepstakes.
And while it was frustrating to see the team fail to even earn a Wild Card spot during Harper’s first season with the team, in the long run, this move should be key behind the team’s success.
By investing all of that money into Harper, the Phillies made it clear in 2019 this team was going all-in on building a World Series contender, even if the first year turned out to be a complete bust.
Unfortunately, the addition of another playmaker such as Betts won’t solve all of the problems Philadelphia dealt with throughout the 2019 season, but imagine adding his offensive power to a lineup that already consists of Harper and Rhys Hoskins.
When looking at how both the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals are currently participating in the postseason, the Phillies realize the NL East is built to be competition for years to come.
So while the thought of the Phillies spending even more money on another star player such as Betts doesn’t seem like the top preference, if it helps Philadelphia become a top contender in 2020, this is what should really matter the most.