Brock Holt offers the ultimate guide to Mookie Betts return
Brock Holt knows a little something about the Mookie Betts story.
The former Red Sox not only played with Betts throughout all six seasons the All-Star outfielder called Boston home, but has always been one of Betts closest friends. It's why when talking about the path that led his buddy from the Sox to the Dodgers, Holt knows of what he speaks.
That much was clear when listening to Holt on the 'Baseball Isn't Boring' podcast.
"I asked him straight up, 'If the Red Sox offered you what the Dodgers offered you are you staying?' He was like, 'Right now?' I'm like, 'No, back then. Before you got traded.' He's like, 'Oh, I'm staying.' Mookie wanted to stay," Holt said. "He said it himself, 'I know people aren't going to believe me,' because he turned down X. He turned down this contract or the next one. But he wanted to stay. I truly believe if they would have offered market value for Mookie Betts he would have been a Red Sox for the rest of his career. I truly believe that.
"I think everything happens for a reason. I think he is in LA right now because that's where he is supposed to be. It kind of fits his personality, I think, now that he is in Hollywood."
The subject of Betts was pertinent considering Friday marks the first time since he was traded to the Dodgers for Alex Verdugo, Connor Wong and Jeter Downs he would be back at Fenway Park.
Betts, of course, signed a 12-year, $365 million contract extension with the Dodgers in 2020 after being dealt away from the Red Sox. Since joining Los Angeles, he has 111 home runs in 473 games, totaling a .904 OPS. In games he has played the Dodgers have gone 315-158.
"Whenever you asked me to be on the podcast and think of my Top 5 Mookie moments I went on YouTube and looked up Mookie Betts highlights just to reminisce. It makes you sad," Holt said. "I'm sad. I told him the other day, 'I wanted to see you play for the Red Sox your entire career.' I think everybody would. I think that's super cool. A player of that caliber getting drafted by one team and spending his whole career with one team."
Holt added, "He cares. And he loves Boston. He loved being a Red Sox. It just didn't work out. ... You just try and get what your worth at that time and Mookie was worth a lot more than what the Red Sox were offering. So it's just seeing what is out there. If they came to with him with a deal that he thought was fair he would still be in a Red Sox uniform, I have no doubt. But he cares.
"There are going to be some people who boo him and say, 'If he wanted to stay he would have stayed,' and this and that. But I think the majority of people are happy that Mookie Betts wore a Red Sox uniform for as long as he did and accomplished what he did on the field. Red Sox fans are great. They know they were able to witness something special whenever he was there. I think he is going to get a pretty good ovation from the fans, which he deserves."
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