Trenni Kusnierek On Mookie Betts Leaving The Red Sox

Red Sox Orioles Baseball — Boston Red Sox's Mookie Betts looks into the crowd during a baseball game, Wednesday, May 8, 2019, in Baltimore.

Arjun Singh is a producer for Boston Public Radio. A California native, Arjun moved to Boston to study international relations at Boston University. Prior to working at WGBH, Arjun worked at a tech company and for a political campaign.

February 18, 2020

Updated August 07, 2023

In a move that stunned fans, the Boston Red Sox announced in early February that they intended to trade right fielder Markus “Mookie” Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers. News of the trade provoked an outcry from Red Sox supporters and Sox owner John Henry acknowledged that he knew the trade would be unpopular.

“So, on one level, when I say I understand how many of you feel about this trade with the Dodgers, I know many of you – particularly our youngest fans – are disbelieving or angry or sad about it. I know it’s difficult and disappointing,” Henry said at a press conference on Monday.

According to Trenni Kusnierek, an anchor and reporter for NBC Sports Boston, the trade ultimately came down to a matter of raw numbers. The Red Sox hhoped to keep their cumulative payroll for the roster under $208 million. Betts, however, asked for more. Ultimately, the two parties could not come to an agreement, and Betts and the Red Sox parted ways.

“From my understanding from people who are much closer to the situation...the Red Sox felt that they were not going to be able to come to a deal with Mookie Betts,” Kusnierek said during an interview with Boston Public Radio on Tuesday.