The Red Sox have renewed outfielder Mookie Betts’ contract at a healthy $950K price, according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). Betts, 24, has established himself as one of the game’s best players and is fresh off of an outstanding 2016 season in which he slashed .318/.363/.534 with 31 home runs and 26 stolen bases.
On the heels of that effort, Betts will take home the second-highest amount ever given to a 2+ service-class player who wasn’t eligible for arbitration, falling shy only of Mike Trout’s 2014 payday of $1MM. Nevertheless, the Red Sox weren’t able to get him to sign his name to the agreement. The club had the right to renew him at whatever amount it preferred, so long as it met or exceeded the league minimum salary, so it’s not as if he had much leverage. But it’s still somewhat notable that Betts was the organization’s only player to make the symbolic gesture of forcing the club to renew him.
That being said, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski says that he did not sense any bad feelings between the sides during negotiations, as Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports (Twitter links). Certainly, the club could have taken a harsher stance in setting the final number, but obviously had no interest in making a point at the expense of its relationship with a key player. As things turned out, says Betts, there’s no animosity on his part. (Via Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald, on Twitter.)
It would not be surprising to see the sides back at the bargaining table sooner rather than later. If nothing else, there’ll be a hefty arbitration salary to negotiate next winter, but it’s also possible to imagine that the sides will explore a longer-term deal. While Boston enjoys three years of control over Betts beyond the upcoming season, the team’s leverage will wane as he gets closer to free agency and increases his earnings through the arb process.
dodgersneedrings
Couldn’t even give the guy a million?
Connorsoxfan
I’m not sure they want to demonstrate he’s just as valuable as Trout. Which he is creeping up to if he repeats last year, but with a 400 million dollar contract being talked about for Harper, however unlikely, 3 more years of Betts putting out these stats and he’s looking at the same thing.
acm14
Service class comps are taken rather seriously and he didn’t match trouts production
pullhitter445
At least they will be saving money with him. David price deal will haunt them for years.
JaysFan19
Melvin Upton Jr. Is making 17 times more this season…. let that sink in
go_jays_go
MUJ’s deal was signed as a free agent; Mookie Betts was handed his contract as a pre-arb player.
It’s not a clean comparison.
Cam
I think he’s aware of this – but wanted to point out how incredible it is nonetheless.
afenton530
Bobby Bonilla is still picking up checks from the Mets, bad contracts are everywhere
Bald Vinny
If he wouldn’t sign that contract…. they should’ve pulled a page from the Levine school of employee relations and renewed him at the minimum. What could go wrong?
TribeTown
Really unsure of the wording “established himself as one of the game’s best players”. Too small of a sample size. Let’s see him perform for the next few years at this rate first
trace
Define “sample size” for established players.
cards2WS 2
Dude, he’s had 1500 ABs and has an OPS of .855. He has 17 WAR in 2.5 seasons including nearly 10 WAR last year alone. Please tell me how he’s NOT one of the best players in baseball? Not to mention he was always a top prospect, so it’s not like this came out of nowhere
hakunamoncada
He was definitely not considered a top prospect. He only made the BA list once and that was at #75.
baseballamerica.com/statistics/players/cards/23
go_jays_go
“He only made the BA list once and that was at #75 (after the 2013 season)”
Betts had 211 PA in 2014, which caused him to lose his rookie status.
Had the Red Sox organization decided to keep Betts in the minors for all of 2014 and allow Betts to retain his rookie status, he would’ve easily been a consensus top 10 prospect for 2015.
The only reason why Betts was never given the ‘top prospect’ label is because he flew by the upper minors too quickly.
hakunamoncada
He wasn’t “always a top prospect” though as the original poster had stated. There is no way to argue otherwise.
TribeTown
I’m not questioning objective production. I’m questioning whether that label should be applied relative to all other players. Would you put him in the same class as Trout, Cabrera, Donaldson, Kershaw, Posey, etc.? I don’t think the label fits relative to other players is all. Feel free to disagree
Priggs89
First, I would put Trout and Kershaw in a separate class all to their own.
Then yes, I would happily put Mookie in the next class (Bryant as well).
JDSchneck
Trout will get at least 400 Mill if he wants it. If Bostons smart, Betts on the other hand could have the potential to get a contract next year for at least 250 Mill
Mo Vaughn
Actually Betts can’t because he’s not a free agent until 2021, so…
CubsFanForLife
I think he means an extension
pinballwizard1969
Interesting that even with a significant raise over what the Red Sox had to pay him Betts still refused to sign on the dotted line. Could mean any talk of an “hometown discount” extension at some point can be dismissed.
Connorsoxfan
I’m not sure that’s ever in the question when you have the potential to make a couple hundred million. Sure, if it’s 63 mil instead of 70 mil, maybe you consider it if you love where you are, but 200 mil to 250 mil? He’s gone.
tuna411
I would think it the other way around…um, maybe. Both numbers are astronomical wealth but if 200 vs 250 makes you leave a place you are suppose to be happy, priorities are out of whack.
And if betts wants to make a point and NOT sign the SECOND HIGHEST ever contract for amount of experience, I’d re-up him at league min + a couple of hundred thousand. Just stupid on his part to not sign…
Priggs89
You must be a Red Sox fan.
nysoxsam
No incentive to sign/not sign. No big deal either way. Sox have more to lose today. Best to do what they did and try to negotiate to buy out arb years. Only reason to offer less is next year will be measured in part on 2017 production, in part on past awards to similar situated players and in part on his most recent salary. My guess is he’ll force the issue year to year with Boras as his agent and then see what the open market has in store at that time. Betting on himself which Trout chose to first cash in with a guarantee and Harper as of now seems like a loser. That said, Harper still has plenty of time to reinstate his market place beliefs. Even if he were a free agent now, it would be hard to consider him a “loser” even if $400M isn’t offered.
pinballwizard1969
Boras is NOT Betts agent, The Legacy Agency is.
lesterdnightfly
If he doesn’t take that “hometown discount” ?
Then all Betts are off….
go_jays_go
I thought most clubs had a direct formula for calculating salaries for pre-arb players.
So to avoid situations like this one, the club can simply say, the salary is dictated by club policy.
Seems odd.
mikeyank55
Betts announced late this afternoon, “I’m done with this team. “DD” pisses away $200 million on Price and can’t give me a raise? How about if I start playing defense like another prima Donna, Manny? Should I jake it in the outfield and give the fans something to laugh over? And they couldn’t throw some money at the only proven winner on the team to keep Papi playing? Please. Who is gonna protect me?”
22222pete
Yankees took their raise off the table last year when Betances did not sign and renewed at the minimum. Betts would have lost 400 K if the Red Sox did the same
22222pete
What would happen if Betts decided not to play unless he got paid whatever he felt he was worth. Who blinks first?. Betts obviously has no leverage as he has nowhere to go, but the Red Sox are in win now mode with 200 million in salary committed and half a dozen top prospects in trades
RiverCatsFilms
People compare him to Trout and doesn’t even get a million smh
halosfan4ever27
Betts cant even get a million? but they’re willing to spend 217 million on price?
metsmosloyal23
What a talent smh…