Twice last week, Peter Abraham, Globe Sox beat writer and NESN contributor, suggested that Mookie Betts could be a trading chip over the winter. Though I respect Peter very much, I have to strongly disagree.
As of Sunday (the day the Globe pubishes expanded stats), Betts had played 39 games with the Sox. His .283 average was by far the best of the Sox “young hopefuls”, including Xander Bogearts, Christian Vasquez, Jackie Bradley Jr and Will Middlebrooks. His OBP of .357 was one of the tops on the team. His power figures were not great, but he has shown some speed with 5 stolen bases. His 14 walks are fairly impressive, as is only one GIDP. But in two areas he has really stood out. First is his versatility- from second base in the minors to the outfield at Fenway (with some fine catches) and then back to second. Also impressive was his Clutch Average (at bats from the 7th inning on, 2 runs behind, or representing the tying run) of .526, 150 points better tahn anyone else on the team. His 138 at bats hardly contributed a full season, but the numbers are impressive. Globe correspondent Paul Swydan’s Statistically Speaking column rates Betts highly in other areas as well.
As I wrote last week, a package, even led by Betts, would not bring a Cole Hamels unless a Henry Owens (or possibly more) was involved. The Bradley’s and Allen Websters of this world have little or no trade value. Is it worth giving up the one successful prospect of 2014 plus a highly-rated hurler for a good-but hardly great- 31-year-old pitcher?
For most of the season, Sox youngsters seem to have been caught up in the “clutch futility” that has taken over the entire team with the exception of David Ortiz. The front office has not helped the situation by moving Bogearts back and forth and sending players to the minors after giving them “votes of confidence”. Betts seems to not have been affected as much. For that and other reasons, he should stay.
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