Why Liverpool fans should take notice of the Boston Red Sox’s Mookie Betts trade

The controversial decision of the Boston Red Sox to trade away their superstar Mookie Betts reflects a lot about the current state of one of baseball’s most storied franchises. Yet in many ways it says even more about owners Fenway Sports Group and their approach to running professional sports teams. The blockbuster trade, agreed on Tuesday, which sends the four-time All-Star right fielder and former MVP to the Los Angeles Dodgers, offers a glimpse of what might lie ahead for the American investment company's other prized asset: Liverpool.

While the Reds stand on the brink of completing a remarkable two-year spell of dominance under Jurgen Klopp with the now inevitable addition of the Premier League title to last season's Champions League, it is worth remembering that it was only two years ago that the Red Sox, too, captured glory and began dreaming of a dynasty of their own.

It was then that Betts inspired his team to 108 regular season wins: a franchise record - sound familiar? His unprecedented season earned him Most Valuable Player, Silver Slugger, a Gold Glove and the batting title as the team clinched the World Series - the team's fourth since the turn of the century. Betts will earn $27m in the final year of his contract, an extremely reasonable amount for a player who is only bettered by Mike Trout (35.5) in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) at 33.8 over the last three years. The impending $400m extension, while daunting, will prove value to the Dodgers or whoever else is fortunate enough to sign this electrifying talent.

Stung by the $12m (£9.2m) penalty they paid in 2018 after exceeding the threshold by $40m (£30.6m) in 2018, FSG are now seemingly allergic to the league’s luxury tax. Yet nobody believes the Red Sox could not have afforded to keep Betts; they are the 12th most valuable sports franchise in the world at $3.2b (£2.5b), with an income of $84m (£64.3m) after all. John W Henry and co. instead shied away from keeping one of their own, who would surely have propelled them to many more glorious mid-October nights throughout the remainder of his career.

So Red Sox fans are now without their beloved right fielder, as well as starting pitcher David Price, who was thrown into the trade, though the Red Sox will pay about half of the remaining $96m on the last three years of his contract - another indictment of their stinginess. All the while season ticket prices continue to rise.

So what must Liverpool fans make of this?

Some, rather tongue-in-cheek, have suggested this is merely FSG preparing for an earth-shattering move for Kylian Mbappe this summer. But what it does hint at is their stubborn approach to valuing talent. Despite their privileged position to build from this summer, The Independent understands the Reds will stick to the principles that have seen them return to their perch. Spending within their means and prioritising variety over depth will continue to be the mantra behind the scenes at Anfield. An alternative to Mbappe might be Bayer Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz, but a familiar conclusion is likely when you consider the Reds deem the asking price of £80m to be nearly double their own valuation of the German midfielder. This is their mentality.

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FSG, while ardent sports fans, are first and foremost businessmen – completely understandably given their background – and especially so when considering the reckless spending that has impacted English football up and down the pyramid this century. All is well right now at Anfield, where they will argue the investment has certainly been more than adequate with world record purchases for Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk in the last 18 months alone. That said, this record-breaking, history-making season will be completed with a far healthier net spend than that of those around them.

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It’s not that long ago that Philippe Coutinho was once the Reds’ most prized possession although the Brazilian is now somewhat forgotten after the brilliantly efficient reinvestment of the £142m paid by Barcelona back in January 2018. The Betts trade is the perfect example of how no matter the supporters’ affection for Klopp’s team, they will all have a price to FSG. That’s business. There has so far not been firm enough interest in Van Dijk, Sadio Mane or Mohamed Salah to place FSG in the awkward predicament felt this winter around Fenway. But the Betts trade reminds us it could be sooner than many think.