Red Sox Owners Raking in Cash While Shopping Mookie Betts is All-Time Cheap Move

When evaluating the worth of MLB franchises, the conversation will always start with the New York Yankees. Yup, 27 World Series titles will do that, but let's not understate the value of their greatest rival, the Boston Red Sox.

While the Sox are actively shopping the likes of Mookie Betts and David Price, their ownership group, Fenway Sports Group, continues to make money in part due to the exploits of the Boston ball club and Liverpool F.C.

Any savvy business is built on profit, but trading a player of Betts' quality rather than re-signing him to a long-term deal is simply taking advantage of a rabid fanbase that'll show up to Fenway Park regardless of the on-field product.

The Red Sox -- as is the case with most MLB franchises -- are increasing in value year-over-year. In a baseball-starved market like Boston, the potential for financial gain is ever-present, with or without a player of Betts' quality.

But, that doesn't give the big wigs running Fenway Sports Group the right to demand a higher profit margin by decreasing player payroll. It's an insult to a fanbase that demands contention, especially as the Yankees continue to spend in free agency to compete with the likes of Houston and Los Angeles. Signing Gerrit Cole might be unrealistic, but taking care of one of your own (a former MVP no less) while he's still just 27 years of age is arguably a no-brainer. That is, assuming a World Series is their ultimate goal, rather than the highest profit margins possible.

Red Sox fans have every right to demand only the best from the team's ownership, especially because their gain is directly correlated to money spent by Boston supporters. The time is now to hold them accountable, hopefully before they send away your greatest asset.