Mookie Betts trade officially official

After nearly a week of consternation, the Mookie Betts trade is officially official, as both the Red Sox and Dodgers announced the trade on Monday evening. In case you missed it, the Dodgers got Betts along with David Price in exchange for Alex Verdugo, Jeter Downs, and Connor Wong.

As we’ve mentioned here many times, the Red Sox have been laser-focused on trimming payroll to get under the $208 million competitive balance tax threshold. The Dodgers are covering about half of Betts’ and Price’s remaining salaries — roughly $48 million. That gets the Red Sox under $190 million as it pertains to the CBT. The Red Sox were in the penalty for each of the past two seasons and didn’t want to make it three.

The Red Sox brass addressed the trade, using the typical language to justify the trade. Per Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said that the club would have pursued a Betts trade even if they were only $5 million above the CBT. Which, if you’re a Red Sox fan, has to be incredibly inspiring. Brings a tear to your eye, really.

Principal owner John Henry said, “While the organization in its entirety very much wanted to see Mookie in a Red Sox uniform for the length of his career, we believe in this decision as we are responsible and accountable for both the present and the future of the Red Sox.”

Along with the draft, the Red Sox will gamble on some prospects they received in the deal, hoping one of those players turns into a player as good as Mookie Betts. The circle of life.

Follow @Baer_Bill

BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Orioles signed outfielder Aaron Hicks less than 24 hours after Cedric Mullins went down with a strained right groin.

Mullins went on the 10-day injured list, but the Orioles are hoping Hicks can help defensively in the spacious outfield at Camden Yards. Hicks was released last week by the New York Yankees with more than 2 1/2 seasons left on his contract.

“We had noticed that he was a free agent even before the injury,” Orioles general manager Mike Elias said. “When the injury occurred and it became pretty clear this was going to be an IL, it seemed like a good fit even more so at that time.”

The Orioles are responsible for paying Hicks just $483,871, a prorated share of the $720,000 minimum salary. The Yankees owe him the rest of his $10.5 million salary this year, plus $9.5 million in each of the next two seasons and a $1 million buyout of a 2026 team option.

The 33-year-old Hicks hit just .188 in 28 games for the Yankees this year.

“We have stuff that we look at from a scouting and evaluation perspective,” Elias said. “It’s very different from just looking at the back of a baseball card, and we hope that we get a bounceback from anyone we bring here.”

Hicks batted .216 last season.

“Hopefully that’s a good thing for him,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of the Baltimore deal. “A lot of time here and a lot of good things happened for him here. I know the last couple of years have been a struggle. But hopefully it’s a good opportunity for him and certainly wish him well. Not too well being in our division and a team we’re chasing, but hopefully it’s a really good fit for him.”

Mullins left a loss to Cleveland after he pulled up while running out an infield grounder. Outfielder Colton Cowser – the fifth pick in the draft two years ago – is hitting .331 at Triple-A Norfolk, but he went on the IL in the past couple weeks.

“Certainly he was building a case towards promotion consideration prior to his injury and prior to Cedric’s injury,” Elias said. “We’ll just see where we’re at.”

Hicks was active for the game but not in the starting lineup. Austin Hays, normally Baltimore’s left field, was in Mullins’ usual spot in center.

When the wall in left at Camden Yards was pushed significantly back before last season, it made left field a bigger challenge defensively.

“In this park … you really need two center fielders,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Aaron’s got a lot of center-field experience. Played left field here before also. Brings the defensive aspect and then the switch-hitting.”