Boston Red Sox: Mookie Betts’ 1-year, $27 million deal a good sign

The Boston Red Sox and Mookie Betts avoid arbitration by agreeing on a 1-year, $27 million contract. It’s the largest contract in MLB history for an arbitration-eligible player.

One of the hottest topics surrounding the Boston Red Sox over the last few seasons has been signing Mookie Betts to a long term contract. The only problem has been not knowing what Mookie is looking for.

The Red Sox offered Mookie Betts an undisclosed long term contract before the start of the 2017 season, which he turned down. In 2018, he was offered an eight-year, $200 million contract that he would later decline as well.

Betts ended up earning $10.5 million in arbitration in 2018 and would lead the Boston Red Sox to a World Series title while also earning the MVP award for the 2018 season.

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Now in 2019, to avoid arbitration, the Red Sox and Mookie Betts have agreed on a one-year, $27 million contract. Betts’ $27 million contract is the largest ever for a player in an arbitration-eligible season.

It seems like Mookie is looking to sign the biggest contract in MLB history, and it’s pretty deserving considering the way he’s performed since joining the league in 2014.

Let’s take a look at his accomplishments. 4x All-Star (2016-2019), 4x Gold Glove (2016-2019), 3x Silver Slugger (2016, 2018, 2019), AL Batting Champion (2018), Wilson Defensive Player of the Year (2016), MVP (2018), and World Series Champion (2018).

As Mookie is looking around the MLB and seeing players sign ginormous contracts, he believes he is just as deserving of a super hefty contract.

Mike Trout signed a huge 12-year, $430 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels, which is pretty deserving for Trout; he’s arguably the best player in the last decade. But Bryce Harper earned a 13-year, $330 million contract from the Philadelphia Phillies.

Mookie believes to find himself deserving of a contract larger than the two of Trout’s and Harper’s. That would mean Betts must be trying to set a market for himself near the $500 million mark. It’s hard to believe any team around the league wouldn’t give him that or even more.

Although the Boston Red Sox had the highest payroll in the league last season, it’s hard to say if the Sox are prepared to pay out a hefty contract like that or not. Red Sox owner John Henry would like to cut the salary of his team in order to avoid the luxury tax next season.

To avoid the luxury tax, the Red Sox need to drop from $229.1 million in salary to under $208 million.

"“We need to be under the CBT [competitive balance tax].” -John Henry"

In an article by NBC Sports John Tomase, Mookie told him whatever decision is to be made in regards to his future, he’s taking the emotion out of the equation.

"“Fans and media get caught up in emotions and that’s just not how I was raised and that’s just not what my point of view with my agent is. We take emotions out of it and we focus on the business part. Of course, I love it here. This is all I know. But you also have to take the emotional side out of it and get to what is actually real.” – Mookie Betts, per John Tomase"

It’ll be interesting to see what the Boston Red Sox come up with in regards to the future of Mookie Betts in Boston. With a great new Chief of Baseball Operations in Chaim Bloom, we’ll have to wait and see how the contract negotiations go. For now, Betts will make $27 million for 2020.