Let the gnashing of teeth begin over how a big-market team like the Red Sox could cry poor and jettison a homegrown superstar, but this is the right deal and here's why: Betts planned to leave next fall and the Red Sox managed to land not only a promising replacement in highly touted 23-year-old Alex Verdugo, they're also unloading David Price (more on him in a minute) and what should be a decent chunk of the $96 million remaining on his contract. The Yankees and Dodgers have proven over the last few years what happens when one of the game's financial behemoths resets a bloated payroll -- it puts itself in a position to dominate. The Dodgers lopped nearly $100 million before building the club that has averaged over 100 wins the last three years, while the Yankees famously sold off a number of veterans at the 2016 trade deadline in advance of 100 wins in 2018 and 2019.