Jan 15, 2020; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox chairman Tom Werner is preaching patience when it comes to grading the Mookie Betts trade. Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Red Sox chairman: 'Let's revisit Mookie Betts trade in 12 years'

By Erin Walsh | Last updated Jul 24, 2020 3:25 PM ET

Boston Red Sox executives can't seem to wrap their heads around the fact that they may have made a mistake by deciding to trade Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Red Sox chairman Tom Werner revisited the trade Friday as Boston prepares to host the Baltimore Orioles on Opening Day at Fenway Park, and he wasn't shy about sharing his thoughts.

Red Sox chairman Tom Werner:

"It's always difficult to trade a player of Mookie's caliber, but let's revisit this in 12 years. That's a very, very longterm deal for a team to swallow."
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) July 24, 2020

The former American League MVP helped the Red Sox win the World Series in 2018 and was consistently one of their best players from his debut season in 2014. With Boston, Betts averaged .301 at the plate with 139 home runs, 470 RBIs and an .893 OPS.

It's hard to imagine why the Red Sox decided to trade Betts instead of signing him to a long-term deal, though Werner does make a point by insinuating that the right fielder won't be nearly as good towards the end of his deal.

Betts' contract is the second largest in baseball history behind the $426.5 million deal Mike Trout signed through the 2030 season.

The Boston Red Sox sent Betts and pitcher David Price to the Dodgers in February in exchange for Alex Verdugo, Jeters Downs and Connor Wong.

Erin Walsh

Erin Walsh is a Boston sports fan through and through. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Bridgewater State University and currently is in pursuit of her Master's Degree in Journalism from Northeastern University. Follow her on Twitter @ewalsh90

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