Dodgers, Twins agree on Maeda, Graterol deal

Dodgers decided they can keep Ryu (the best pitcher from Asia right now) and make Maeda expendable

The Red Sox is going to get severely punished anyway for sign-stealing cheating, but it's obvious they're punting this season, as they figure they'll finish behind the Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays in their strong division

The Mookie and Price trade is all about shedding payroll - they want their payroll to get under the luxury tax

But it's more the realization among their fans that the Red Sox are sellers this time (e.g. the likes of mid-table teams that sell to rich teams to make budget) - that they're not at the tier like the Dodgers or Yankees that reload every year. After so many years of being used to adding top players

On the one hand, it has to be done - they went all-in on payroll in 2017 that eventually netted them a 2018 World Series (although again, sign-stealing cheating) (What is it with Boston and cheating? The Patriots too were caught cheating, not just once but twice!)

But on the other hand, the way it was done - the Dodgers didn't even have to give up top prospects for Mookie Betts (who is MVP-caliber) and David Price (top veteran pitcher albeit on the tail-end of his career). They essentially just sold them for money purposes - in other words, like a typical mid-table team selling to Barcelona or Bayern Munich

Then again, the last time the Red Sox punted a season (2012), they won the World Series the next year. But the difference that last time, they had good players out that season and came back healthy the season after. There's no cavalry coming this time it seems