Padres Top Prospect Reportedly Emerges as Target for Red Sox in Mookie Betts Trade Talks

Despite the trade rumors surrounding Boston Red Sox star Mookie Betts, a deal has yet to materialize even after the two sides agreed to a record-breaking arbitration deal.

As of late, however, the Red Sox and the San Diego Padres have had some serious conversations about the 2018 American League MVP, and those discussions could be intensifying after Boston has reportedly zeroed in on one of the Pads' top prospects.

In the Mookie Betts trade talks, catching prospect Luis Campusano is one player the Red Sox have expressed interest in. The Padres value him highly; Campusano, a Cal League co-MVP last season, is 79th on Baseball America’s top-100 list.
— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) January 24, 2020

The Red Sox have expressed interest in catcher Luis Campusano, the No. 79 overall prospect in the MLB, according to Baseball America. He's also the Padres' No. 5-ranked prospect.

Luis Campusano led the California League (High-A) in batting last year, hitting .325. @BaseballAmerica ranks him 5th in the Padres system, showing their depth of prospects. A catching prospect who can both defend and hit is rare these days but man do I love Mookie. https://t.co/9WvhC9nnzI
— Will Woodward (@SPWill) January 24, 2020

Last season, Campusano led the California League with a .325 batting average and added 15 home runs and 81 RBI. The Padres have a wealth of prospects, but the loss of Campusano would for sure hurt their pipeline given his all-around game.

I’ve heard from my Padres source who told me Manny Machado to the Padres that there is a High Likelihood of Mookie Betts and David Price to the Padres. #MLBNHotStove
— Baseball Analyst (@AnalystBaseball) January 24, 2020

It remains to be seen if the Padres are willing to part ways with Campusano, but nonetheless, this is a good starting point for getting into the advanced stages of trade talks.