Is money really that tight in Boston?
No … but yes.
But Betts wants to hit free agency. He has made that very clear. He believes that his contract will help the bargaining position of every other player, so he believes it is his obligation to get the best deal possible.
Also, it seems clear that no team is willing to pay the tax and give up draft position/signing slot money to go over the CBT. Or at least, they won't do it unless they truly believe they are contenders. And I don't think the Red Sox believe they are contenders. Price is clearly fading. Evolodi was a mistake. And the Yankees and Rays are great teams. So the Sox probably had an honest appraisal and decided that getting out from under the Price contract and getting quality pieces in return for Betts, who was going to walk for nothing anyway, is the best way to make the team competitive in the future.
Verdugo is, frankly, a huge haul for Betts. He's young enough that he has a ton of team control left, but he's actually proven he can play at the big league level.