The Red Sox are not actively shopping Mookie Betts.
According to major league sources, this is the reality when it comes to how Chaim Bloom and Co. are approaching the situation involving their star outfielder this offseason.
This does not mean the Red Sox aren't listening to offers regarding Betts -- who has one year left on his current contract and figures to cost the team between $27-30 million in arbitration for 2020 -- which is why there have been rumblings about proposed deals and interest from around the majors. This isn't Dave Dombrowski definitively saying the Red Sox aren't entertaining offers for Eduardo Rodriguez, as the former President of Baseball Operations once declared.
But the notion that part of the Red Sox' Plan A when it comes to getting below the $208 million luxury tax threshold involves trading Betts doesn't appear to be accurate.
It is believed that Betts' asking price may have been closer to Mike Trout's 12-year, $426 million deal than the contracts given to Manny Machado (10 years, $300 million) and Bryce Harper (13 years, $330 million), which is why a deal didn't get done prior to the 2019 season. But the Red Sox still haven't given up hope that they can keep Betts around past the 2020 season, still weighing incoming proposals from other teams to see if any jump off the page.
There are no signs, however, that the team is inclined to prioritize payroll flexibility when entertaining a deal for the outfielder. The belief is that the Red Sox will seek their financial room by exploring deals involving David Price, who might pique the interest of those remaining teams looking for high-end starting pitching.