Red Sox

‘I loved everybody in Boston’: Mookie Betts on his time with Red Sox, 2020 trade

"It's something I'll never forget."

Mookie Betts in June, 2022. Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

June 8, 2022

Though he’s no longer playing for the Red Sox, Mookie Betts recently explained that his departure from Boston was not because he didn’t enjoy playing for the team.

Betts, who was traded to the Dodgers in 2020 in exchange for Alex Verdugo, Connor Wong and Jeter Downs, discussed his time with the Red Sox in an interview with WEEI’s Rob Bradford on the podcast, “The Bradfo Sho.”

“I just don’t want anybody, especially when I go back, man, I don’t want it to be like it was hatred or I didn’t want to be there,” Betts told Bradford. “I loved everybody in Boston. I loved it. That was the best time of my life. Obviously, it’s a new chapter now and I’ve got to live where my feet are, but I’ll never forget all those memories, all those fans, and all the things I did in Boston, all the people, that was my life. It’s something I’ll never forget.”

Prior to the trade, Betts and the Red Sox were unable to come to agreement on a contract extension. In his view, Betts noted that it was not a personal dislike of playing for Boston that led to his exit.

“They had things they needed to take care of,” Betts explained when asked about the Red Sox’ position at the time. “They were in a situation where they had to do what’s best for them. You can’t really be mad at somebody for having to do what’s best for them, especially when you have to do what’s best for you. There’s definitely no hatred there. Chaim [Bloom] did a great job kind of talking and being upfront and honest and made the whole process smooth. It sucks, but that’s part of it.”

Since the trade, Betts has helped the Dodgers win the 2020 World Series, and is currently off to a hot start in 2022 (he is tied for the National League lead in home runs with 16).

And as a player in the prime of his career, Betts — who ended up signing a 12-year deal with the Dodgers worth $365 million — simply wanted a contract that reflected his value.

“I wanted to get what I felt like I was worth. That’s pretty much all that was. I just had to kind of put emotions to the side, which is definitely hard to do. I spent my whole life, my whole baseball career there. I got drafted in 2011, played my first game in 2011, and so eight years, nine years, including minor leagues, knew everybody in the organization. There are so many memories and everything that I’ll never forget.”