The Red Sox did the unthinkable and kicked future Hall of Fame outfielder Mookie Betts to the curb. They didn’t want to pay the 2018 MVP the money he deserved so Betts was traded to the Dodgers in February for the final year of his contract.
At just 27-years of age and with a career of explosive offensive and defensive production ahead of him — and at a time when most of us can’t catch a COVID come up — Betts signs and extension with the Los Angeles Dodgers for 13-years and $392 million dollars according to baseball guru Jeff Passan.
Outfielder Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers are in agreement on a 12-year, $365 million contract extension, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN. Combined with the one-year, $27 million deal he’s currently under, the total is 13 years and $392 million.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 22, 2020
That’s all guaranteed money, baby.
The Dodgers — who are favored to win their eighth consecutive division crown and hunting their first World Series since 1988 in a season cut to 60 games due to the coronavirus pandemic — secure a Top 5 MLB player with a coveted 30-30 season under his belt.
Betts has the highest fWAR of anyone not named Mike Trout since 2015. His 2019 season (.295, 29 bombs and 80 RBI and n MLB-leading 135 runs scored) ranked ninth in fWAR despite a slight dip in production from his 2018 AL MVP campaign.
In addition, the franchise ownership, led by Magic Johnson and Co., has added the most high profile African-American player in the league and a guy they can surely market to the African-American community.
The new deal will include the 2020 season and provide Betts the second-biggest contract for any league player, trailing only the $426.5 million deal of Anaheim’s legendary slugger and three-time MVP Mike Trout.
Betts is a four-time All-Star and a four-time Gold Glove winner who has a giant impact on the game despite his 5-foot-9 height.
In 2018, Black Knight Betts became the first African-American to win the American League MVP award since Ken Griffey Jr. in 1997, breaking a 21-year drought.
Of course, people will rave about the money that Betts is making, but his megadeal is deeper than that. Boston got an MVP and World Series title out of him and dumped him off to LA for money reasons. Boston is loaded, by the way, and the move is still mindblowing to this day.
Betts is not only rich, but he’s motivated to prove to the Red Sox that they made a huge mistake by devaluing him and shipping him off to the sunshine of the West Coast. He’ll probably always feel a little bitterness towards his first teak, but he sure ain’t complaining about the upgrade in living conditions.
The Dodgers have come oh so close to winning a World Series under David Roberts.
They are hoping Betts is the final piece.
