On Monday, the Boston Red Sox officially announced the trade that sent Mookie Betts and David Price to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The organization released a statement on the trade from members of the front office. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and general manager Brian O'Halloran also addressed the media in Fort Myers.
After his opening statement praising Betts and Price for their contributions in Boston, Bloom explained why Red Sox brass felt the deal had to be made.
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"There's obviously a lot of different moves that we explored over the course of the offseason and that we're always going to be exploring," Bloom said. "And I think you have to assess every move both in itself and also how it fits into the context of a larger roster.
"I think in this case, as difficult as it was and as it continues to be emotionally, we felt that where this trade positions us in terms of the big picture, in terms of our long-term future, was a large enough step forward that despite being difficult, it was something we needed to do."
Betts is scheduled to become a free agent following the 2020 season. Bloom acknowledged Betts' contract situation, noting it takes a "sizable commitment" to maintain a player of his caliber who's set to hit the open market.
In exchange for Betts and Price, the Red Sox received outfielder Alex Verdugo as well as prospects Jeter Downs and Connor Wong. You can learn more about them here.