When the Boston Red Sox traded Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers last February, the baseball world had no idea how the coronavirus pandemic would change things. Now, with Major League Baseball set to start its 2020 shortened 60-game season, Betts and the Dodgers are in negotiations for a long-term contract. CBS Sports’ Jim Bowden confirmed both sides are close to an extension.
The superstar outfielder will finally make his L.A. debut Thursday when the Dodgers face the Giants at Dodger Stadium, albeit without any fans in attendance. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Betts’ potential contract with the Dodgers is massive and the type of deal that will prompt him to skip free agency this upcoming offseason. MLB payrolls are expected to shrink going forward as teams deal with the financial fallout of the pandemic, but Betts’ deal will erase any belief that top free agents were not going to get paid this winter, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal adds.
MLB’s Mark Feinsand reports initial details on the deal, citing it will be for at least 10 years and $350 million.
With this shortened season, Betts will have to play a bigger role in simply getting the Dodgers to the postseason. Dodgers fans are going to declare their Betts trade a success or failure based on whether or not they are able to bring home a championship.
Given Betts’ age (27) and performance, it was thought that he could command upward of $400 million. Due to the pandemic, that number looks to be suppressed, but L.A. clearly would love to keep Betts in Dodger blue beyond 2020. Betts is slated to take over the Dodgers’ leadoff spot and be the club’s everyday right field. Betts has won four consecutive Gold Gloves and leads the league with 93 defensive runs saved in right field since 2016.
David Price, who was part of the Betts trade, recently opted out of the season over health concerns. High-risk players can opt out of the 2020 season and still collect pay and service time. Other players can opt out but would not be paid or accrue service time. That is believed to be the case for Price and others.
Betts is not a high-risk individual, so if he were to opt out of the season, he would not collect $10 million in prorated salary. More importantly, Betts would not accrue the year of service time necessary to become a free agent this winter. Earlier this month, Betts acknowledged that he was not going to opt out of the 2020 season because it would delay his free agency.
It’s worth noting that if the 2020 season is forced to be canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, players will receive a year of service time. (This was agreed upon in the MLB/MLBPA March agreement)
Betts recently said that he has no regrets about rejecting a reported 10-year, $300 million offer from the Red Sox last offseason. The former AL MVP finished the 2019 season with a .295/.391/.524 batting line, 40 doubles and 29 home runs.
—CBS SPORTS