1:21pm: The new portion of Betts’ contract, once finalized, will guarantee him around 12 years and $350MM on top of this year’s $27MM salary, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link).
The structuring of the deal is in many ways semantics, but it’s worth noting that in terms of new money, Betts’ extension may not top the new money promised to Trout on his prior long-term deal. Referencing the Betts deal as a 13-year, $380MM contract may skew things such that it appears Betts has set a new record, but by that logic, Trout’s contract should be referred to as a 12-year, $426.5MM deal (i.e. the sum of his preexisting two years and $66.5MM and his 10-year, $360MM extension).
If the deal indeed lands Betts in the $380MM range over 13 years, including his 2020 salary, his contract then boils down to the second-richest ever promised to a big league player (whether looking at total guarantee or new money promised on an extension).
11:54am: Betts will top Trout’s deal if the contract is completed, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter).
It’s expected that the deal will actually cover twelve additional seasons, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The total forward-looking guarantee would top $380MM, Passan adds, including Betts’s salary for the 2020 season. (It’s not clear whether that tally includes Betts’s full $27MM or only the pro-rated portion thereof.)
10:42am: In a stunning development that would mark a massive shift in a moribund player market, the Dodgers appear to be closing in on a long-term extension with recently acquired star Mookie Betts. WEEI.com’s Lou Merloni hears that the sides are nearing agreement even as Betts prepares to don the Dodger blue for the first time tomorrow. Joel Sherman tweets that talks are indeed “quite real.”
If completed, the contract would cover a ten-year term and guarantee Betts somewhere in the neighborhood of $350MM to $400MM, according to the report. It sounds as if it would come in right near, if not over, the ten-year, $360MM Mike Trout pact that currently stands as the largest-ever MLB contract.
The Dodgers paid a significant price in prospects and took on a lot of salary (both for Betts and David Price) in order to secure just one season from the 27-year-old. It always seemed the team had designs on a lengthier relationship, though it wasn’t at all clear that vows would be exchanged before Betts hit the open market.
Until the paperwork is complete, Betts stands as the obvious top talent of the 2020-21 free agent class. As MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes explained in his pre-pandemic power rankings, Betts, who is represented by VC Sports Group, seemed situated to “reasonably seek a ten-year term with an average annual value in the $36-40MM range.”
Betts would have represented one of the most interesting-ever free agent cases. Recent market swings and upcoming collective bargaining negotiations provided a fascinating backdrop for the bidding on such a youthful, high-quality player. And then the coronavirus came along, overlaying broad uncertainty onto the situation.
It seems that both the Dodgers and Betts saw a path to limit the risk by striking a bargain now. They’ve certainly had time to get to know one another under trying circumstances over the past several months, even if Betts hasn’t yet recorded any stats for the storied ballclub.
The Phillies should also give an extension to Didi Gregorius and J.T Realmuto. I thought that Mookie was going to returned to Boston next season, but good for him if he signs a long term extension with the Dodgers.
and JT
JT for sure, but I’m sure about Didi. Phils have a few decent infield prospects that could take over in the (hopefully) near future. Use that money on more pitching.
I’m not sure about Didi*
agree 100%
He was never going to return to Boston. You clearly didn’t follow his time there, in terms of his arbitration, contracts signed and renewed. It was never an easy process. He was not outspoken, but also NEVER happy with his $.
RS offered him $300M/10yrs he countered at $420M/12yrs and said that was it, Or he would wait until after 2020 to test free agency. RS saw the writing on the wall and did quite well in the trade. Especially since they will not have to pay any of the $6M to the Dodgers for Price this year as he has opted out of the 2020 season.
Really? I find it very disrespectful what you said, “You clearly didn’t follow his time there.” For your information I did follow the whole situation with Mookie. He was looking to sign a contract around 400 million, but Boston was not comfortable with a contract in that range.
not sure why you got insulted either but I get his point. Even before Mookie was a well known player, there were rumors of a 7 or 8 year 200 plus million deal before he won his MVP At that time, he had a good season followed by a great season MVP -2 then a sub par season. The off season was when the discussion was taking place. As a fan, I never really got the impression he was going to stay unless he was offered the largest contract. With the Sox payroll at the time and lack of pitching for the future, I understand why they didn’t go that big.
When you as a player make a counter offer and say take it or leave it, you are not looking to stay.
He said $420M or I go to free agency. That is forcing a team to trade you, because you have shown no intention or interest to work out a deal …and stay.
And I mean and meant no disrespect regarding people following the situation, But it was clear what his strategy and intentions were, and what he was forcing the team to do.
There was a strange article yesterday wherein Mookie was tweeting positively about Boston as a sign he could return. Obviously, he was teasing everyone.
But what reason do you have to believe that he would have signed elsewhere if the Red Sox HAD agreed to pay him fair market value?
I believe he would of stayed. I don’t think he hated playing for Boston. I think the Red Sox would have been in a big financial issue if they did sign him for 400M. Before the Sox signed Eovaldi, extended Sale and Xander, they tried to extend him, even a 10 year 300M. I know Sale needed TJS, but before we knew that, the only pitcher on the team worth anything at this point would of been Rodriguez and a declining price. No money to spend for additional pitching with no prospects ready.
They tried.. The RS initial offer was $300M.
Betts countered with a take-it-or-leave-it $420M or he would go to free agency. He would not negotiate. Leaving the RS no option but to trade him, which fortunately allowed them to unload Price as well. Which only got better when Price opted out of the 2020 season..saving the RS an additional $6M this year alone.
Not to mention the controlable players the RS got back.
I remember SO MANY Red Sox fans on this site going nuts, telling everyone that Betts was worth both Lux and May, plus other prospects. Now they end up with Verdugo and Downs (coincidentally guys who would have been blocked by Betts and Lux), and Sox fans think they made out. The Sox didn’t even get any pitching! Far and away their biggest need and something the Dodgers just happen to have coming out of their ears. Sure. Great job Sox.
they never watch verdguo play he a good player sure but you lose alot of power when it comes to verdugo. yes how could they make such a big trade and not try to get a pitcher
Javia, you’re so wrong. They had an opportunity to get a pitcher from the Twins but got depth in the revised deal that has reset their near ready minor league system after bringing up so many studs and trading away others to win short term. Also remember the trade was prior to the pandemic which caused Mookie to re-think things.
Let’s see: the Red Sox wanted Lux and May. Both are very highly ranked prospects with the ability to be stars. May is a pitcher, a YOUNG pitcher that the Sox desperately need. They got neither. Instead they got Verdugo, a good but not great player with a bad back. In addition they got Downs and Wong. “Reset their near ready minor league system?” Downs has a total of 48-AB in AA. Wong has 148. Not close to ml ready. Besides which, neither one has high upside. Average bats, average defense, and that is only IF they fully fulfill all their promise. What are the chances of that happening?
It’s all right. Betts only had 1 year of control which gives him little value. And little value is what the Sox got in return.
Didi doesn’t make sense because they signed him to a one-year deal this past offseason. If they wanted to keep him beyond this year, they would’ve just inked a multi-year pack during the winter. I’d get it if he takes off during the season and the Phillies start winning, but there’s no reason to hold extension talks on a fresh contract before games are even played.
As far as Realmuto, that all comes down to price. I have a feeling his initial ask will be north of $100 million, but anything above $80 million would cause me to walk away. Some team will give him his money (especially now that the DH is probably permanent league wide). I know he’s great now, but personally I’d rather invest the money elsewhere.
Realmuto is worth like double what you are offering lmao. The Phillies are paying Bryce Harper $25.4m/yr through his age 38 season and Realmuto has been worth more WAR in both of the last 2 seasons.
I’m not sure you’re considering how many catchers produce as a hitter later in their career. It’s why Biggio was moved from catcher, crouching in catcher position is not ideal any human’s knee and ankle health. Of course, there are exceptions to that like Piazza and Bench. As great as Molina has been, we’ve seen that with his numbers in the last season or two.
Hence, comparing long term contracts of Harper to what Realmuto may get seems naive. Compare catcher apples to apples, not contracts comparable catchers have signed with contracts comparable OFers have signed.
Giving a 30-year-old catcher $200 million is asking to be fired. The recent top of the free agent catching market topped out at about $85 with Martin and McCann a few years ago and both of those contracts had to be moved because they were dead weight. It’s just not a smart investment.
On the extension spectrum, we’ve seen Mauer, Posey, and (I believe) Molina get big nine-figure contracts. The difference is all of those players were developed one-team lifers who, while undoubtedly elite-to-MVP level players, also meant more to their teams and cities than Realmuto does to Philadelphia. The fact that the NL-DH is likely to stay and that Realmuto can play first base means some team will likely dip into nine-figures for him, I just wouldn’t want it to be my team.
I’m a Braves fan, and outside of Acuña or Albies, I wanted AA to move heaven and Earth to get him from Miami. Catchers like him who are also affordable for 2-3 years aren’t available often.
But asking to pay over $20 million a year for five or more seasons into his 30’s? I’ll pass.
1. Salaries have gone up across the board since then
2. Phillies fans (and apparently Bryce Harper) are hankering for Klentak to keep JTR in Philly at all costs so…
Realmuto is a catcher. He will likely breakdown earlier than Harper (even with the DH likely here to stay.)
If you look at J.T.’s history, his agent doesn’t give anyone deals. So if the Phillies or anyone else wants him, they’ll have to give him a huge deal.
I’m not sure what either of those points do because I’ve already said Realmuto’s awk is going to be nine-figures. If a GM goes to $200 million they’re signing their own death certificate.
Any organization that signs a player because “fans are hankering” them has already lost. I guarantee you fans would rather see the Phillies in the playoffs regularly than signing Realmuto.
I don’t think Didi because he signed cheap 1 yr show me deal
OVER RATED
41.8 WAR in 5-1/2 seasons. Nice try.
For 400 million, I’d have to agree with him. He’s a great player but still overrated.
*overrated
A .460 slugging percentage on the road. Yes Betts numbers were inflated by playing at Fenway. A double off the monster at Fenway, is a routine fly out at Brooklyn stadium.
He is overrated actually. I’m still not convinced he’s year in and year out great—and certainly not for 13 years. Hasn’t played a day in Dodger blue and now this massive deal. Bad deal from the outset.
As a die hard Yankees fan, I’ll be the first to say Betts is in no way overrated. The guy is a top tier talent. The Dodgers were smart to sign him long-term.
Well ain’t that a heck
But the Red Sox fans said he was coming back to Boston
Lol! Just don’t pay him more then Trout because you can
I doubt Trout cares all that much. Trout knows he could have gotten more, it wasn’t all about the dollar with him.
Agreed
It was about being able to golf in October for the rest of his career.
Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-yoooooooooooo!
NO ONE who actually follows the RS thought that. They may have hoped..But, He was never coming back. His negotiations were always contentious.
Not everyone said that. I’m glad to see him go. Wanted him traded two years ago because I knew we wouldn’t be able to keep him.
Like White Sox fans said about Chris Sale before Boston extended him.
if he takes a discount for “security” he’ll be making a mistake. depressed market shouldn’t impact his payout given he’s a superstar.
Exactly. Billionaires become richer during economic strife.
Indeed they do Fred.
What discount…?
well knowing the terms now its not one, but I was saying that would not be the right reason to sign an extention for.
But he can injure himself today and never play again
Oh come on! Why do the Dodgers spend their money, unlike the Rangers…
Per Forbes LAD had 556M in revenue, TEX 335M (2019 numbers). Actually Rangers spent a higher percentage of their revenues on payroll. Now we all know everybody lies to Forbes, but the gap is evident, and I don’t think you can accuse the Rangers of being cheap.
I’m just mad that instead of offering Rendon a fair offer for the first bid, we undercut him by a year + some money, and it caused to to get Todd Frazier instead…
I am hoping that since we have a new stadium, maybe we could get some new ownership at the end of the year. Dallas/Ft Worth/Arlington is a huge metroplex, and we should spend like a large market team. But ownership is the first step in making that happen.
Rangers will succeed if they draft and develop well. Spending like a drunken sailor won’t help.
The Rangers tried something similar with ARod. That didn’t work out so well.
A-Rod played great for the Rangers. People seem to forget that that was one of the mega deals that actually really worked out. A-Rod held up his part of the deal for sure.
Tecas doesn’t have State taxes. To put it in perspective, Betts will pay over 30 million in state taxes with a 300 million dollar deal.
State taxes varying depending on which state he plays in that day. While California will have higher state taxes for a couple teams in his division, I don’t think the amount will be a $30 million difference over the life of his contract.
Rangers are opening the most expensive Dick’s Sporting Goods and calling it their home field at a cost of $1.1 billion so their fans cannot attend and view it through a TV for at least a year — they are spending.
As a 40 plus year Sox fan, and watching Mookie since AA, I was quite ok with him being dealt. While I believe he is an exceptional talent, I don’t believe he is on the level of Mike Trout, and I don’t think he should be paid as such. Either way, he’s a great player and I wish him the best in Dodger blue…..
He’s not on the level of Trout. But he’s a Hall of Fame type player.
But Trout didn’t test the market. Trout didn’t want to test Free Agency.
It Trout had of tested the market he would have been in the $500M range.
There is literally nobody in the history of baseball the level of Trout. And I say this as someone on the east coast who doesnt see him play much. Numbers don’t lie.
Trout still has to face the test of time. Lots of great players fell off due to injury and age
trout doesnt have to face any test., he is literally a 10 war player. Mike trout could play no more baseball at age 29 and still be a 1st ballot. Best player ever easily
Griffey Jr faced that test no more than 20 years ago. Not saying Trout isn’t HOF, but to declare that nobody has ever been on his level is complete bull.
Griffen missed a total of 4 years of playing time.
Just imagine what his numbers and legend would be if he hadn’t missed all that time… Still hit 630 with all that missed time, would definitely have passed Willie Mays if he hadn’t missed that much time… But, part of what made him so likable was how he played, and how he played is what got him hurt so often.
So he could have very well been the all time home run king if it wasn’t for that missed time.
im pretty positive trout, at his age, has the highest war ever. so, up to this point, there has not been a single player like trout… ever
however, you have a point in cumulative career/ war.. point is if trout keeps this same style of play up (what he’s done so far) there has never been another player like mike trout
It’s simply not true that no one in baseball history is the level of Trout. Mantle, Mays, and Bonds are all on that level. You can argue era, PEDs, or whatever else you like but Mike Trout is not a lock to be the greatest player of all-time yet and certainly isn’t on his own level above those other guys.
Bonds is the only one on this list that is actually on his level.
Stan Lee you are correct.
The fact that we are even mentioning Trout with Mays and Mantle says something. He may not be the all-time great, but he’s in the top 10, maybe even the top five.
You serious? Willie Mays put up over 150 bWAR and just under 150 fWAR. Trout would literally have to more than double his current WAR total to get there. It’s doable but nowhere near definite.
I think some older players tend to get underrated and many, like Ruth, for good reason given the era and competition levels. But Trout is on Mays’ level right now, not the other way around and he could easily ultimately fall short.
this is correct
Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Willie Mays better then Trout
Babe says hi.
So it’s ok to let guys go who aren’t Mike Trout.. Sounds like a good way to become the Orioles.
Mike Trout didn’t get paid on the level of Mike Trout. If he had waited out FA there is a very good chance he would have gotten north of $500m.
But hey, it’s not like he, his kids and his eventual grandkids aren’t already set for life.
still probably baseball’s 3rd best player…
Noooooooooooooooooooooooo.
Oh well.
At least it’s 10yrs and not 13.
Now reportedly 13 years.
Yikes. I mean it won’t be bad for now, maybe in the last few years it could be.
It’s gonna be an overpay regardless of whether he signs an extension after all or tests free agency… but hey, if we’re going to give Zack Wheeler $100M, why not give Mookie Betts Mike Trout money?
As long as the Red Sox can get Brock Holt back, everything will be fine. Good luck to Mookie.
Ha ha good one. That’s all you saw here back in the spring, Brock Holt talk and Astros talk.
Hope be signs
Signed,
Red Sox fan that wants ANY $$ spent to be on a #2 or #3 starting pitcher…Looking forward to seeing Verdugo play, Downs seems like an interesting player… Boston won that trade IMO
Steal Tanaka or Paxton from the Yankees
I don’t know if I’m ready to say “won the trade” but Verdugo is a lot better than a lot of people realize and Six fans should enjoy watching him for a long time.
How can you say they won the trade when a game hasn’t been played?
Who is #1. Evoldi or Rodriguez?
Rodriguez for sure and why wouldn’t he be considering that he was their best pitcher last year?
Not out of the Realm that Mookie get’s $400 million or close with the Dodgers. If they win it would be well worth it.
That would be the best news of 2020 no question
Great day for Dodgers fans! Red Sox were fleeced!
I’m actually pretty happy with Verdugo. He’s got a high ceiling.
If anyone got fleeced in this trade it was the Angels for backing out
Lol…don’t forget you got Price in that deal.
Wow, all that talk of wanting to test free agency was just a ploy to get out of Boston. Says something about that organization, IMO. Makes me wonder if he was a victim of the racism we hear about from their fans.
Seriously? Do you live in a bubble?
Things have changed quite a bit since he was traded… or haven’t you noticed.
This this off-season we still might have a Covid problem. His desire to be a free agent might have waned.
The Dodgers giving him this huge contract before hitting free agency should tell you what they think or already know about the future course of Covid.
A victim??? Cmon…but then again you support the guy that cant stay healthy, and is currently the greatest yankme ever!!! Just ask him.
LOL what does staying healthy in New York have to do with a history of Sox fans shouting racist epithets at their own and opposing players? Are you stupid?
I hate the Red Sox but the racism charge is unfair. Look at Ortiz and Martinez they are icons in Boston and they are not white. Playing in New York, Boston and Philadelphia is much different then playing in LA or San Diego. If Betts fails in LA the fans attitude is whatever. If Cole and Harper fail in New York and Philadelphia they will get roasted. Very different environment.
Maybe he meant their robust history of racism that is not as bad now?
Get it done!
Sorry not sorry. No player is worth that much. Trout is the best baseball player on tbe planet right now. And hes getting overpaid.
Betts is a top 10 guy and he’ll get overpaid. Gerrit Cole was massively overpaid. There has never been a pitcher contract more than 5 years that has ever worked out. Just ask Mike Hampton and Kevin Brown. They didn’t even finish half their contracts with the team they signed with.
not true. correct. nope.
Actually he’s underpaid. But please stick to your outdated constructs.
40mil a year for playing any game is overpay. Doesn’t matter who they are. I don’t know Trouts aav but its way too much. Can’t either fathom how much that sleazeball Scott Boras would’ve demanded for Trout. Probably wouldn’t have had extension.talks for that matter. He probably would’ve demanded 600mil over 12 years if Trout was his client
40mil a year is an overpay for one of the greatest players to ever play the game in the middle of his prime?
You’re entitled to your own opinion, but the analytics do not back your position at all. Trout should be worth every penny.
“There has never been a pitcher contract more than 5 years that has ever worked out.”
Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander say hi.
Yup.. Scherzer, Verlander, Kershaw, Greinke, Hamels. CC if they didn’t give him the extra extension. Maeda (ok kind of cheating there). I’m sure GMs were even happy with contracts for Lester, Tanaka, & Cliff Lee given how well they pitched early on.
Lester was a 5 year deal with an option for a 6th year. Most likely won’t be picked up
And jv will breakdown this year. And I didnt know his contract was more than 5 years to be honest.
Considering how well Lester pitched on the front end and the fact that he helped lead them to their first title in 108 years I think the Cubs are willing to put up with the back-end of the contract being less than ideal.
JV’s original contract expired after 2019. So even if he does break down this year it doesn’t make that contract look worse.
Scherzer and Kershaw have worked out pretty well.
Kershaw is great in the regular season but he bricks in the playoffs.
Baseball made 10 billion in revenue last season. They are not overpaid and stop comparing baseball to your 9-5 desk job.
Dodgers won 100 games last year and had revenue in the $600M range. So lets say each win is worth $6M (actually lower than the experts project). Betts is pretty clearly a 7-8 war player most years, So $40M a year isn’t an overpay. Plus as a Dodger fan, any amount of money is worth spending if we can finally get a championship after 32 years.
Mookie is going to get paid. He deserves it. Great player, even greater person.
It makes sense. Dodgers have a great system but there aren’t any Mookie-s down there. They’ve got some long term salary flexibility, and a lot of money.And Mook probably prefers the West Coast Mellow to East Coast (especially Boston) Lunacy.
Was pretty sure he’d go back to Boston next winter. But doesn’t sound like anything is final yet.
He was never going back to Boston.. And the Team knew it. And so did anyone who was paying attention.
I paid attention and I never heard anything to indicate he was unhappy in Boston. I knew he wasn’t going to come back unless they paid him fair market value but if they were willing to do that I see no reason why he wouldn’t have come back.
You may have been paying attention, but clearly didn’t understand the ramifications when Betts said he would stay for $420M..Take it or leave it. And refused to negotiate or he would test free agency.
Unless you know nothing about business you would have seen he left them no other choice but to trade him. It’s quite simple actually.
Scherzer and Kershaw have worked out pretty well.
Mookie Betts:
Played his whole career with Red Sox. Refused an extension.
Hasn’t played a single game with Dodgers. Willing to do an extension.
Hypocrite to the fullest.
Maybe, and I mean just maybe Betts feels a little different with a shortened season via Pandemic?
Said pandemic that will still impact the game next year? I think most people would consider that to be a reasonable change of heart.
Things have changed including the financial situation of the entire MLB. Dodgers might also be willing to talk market rate figures or at least whatever Mookie deems that to be. The Sox never made a market rate offer.
How is he a hypocrite. If the Red Sox came to the table and we’re willing to make him one of if not the highest players of all time, he would have listened.
I hate defending Boston, but the Red Sox are not cheap ( look at the Martinez and Sale Contracts). Here is a different point. How many teams can afford Betts? Cubs? Yankees? Mets? Angels? Giants? Phillies? Red Sox? Dodgers? If you take the Yankees, Angels, Cubs and Phillies out of the mix, not many ( particularly in this environment):
They did… Their initial offer was $300M for 10 years..One of the highest contracts ever offered, Betts countered with $420 for 12 years..and said take it or leave it, or he would enter free agency. He basically chose to be traded.
He’s a young good looking multi-millionaire athlete in his 20’s. You think he wants to spend the next decade in Boston or L.A.?
brad-fish? You call him a hypocrite? Seems. if this signing comes to pass, this is more about the environment. Pandamit or not.
Maybe he didn’t like Boston. One winter here will could make anyone California Dream. Not to mention black folks have historically received a poor reception in Fenway. I’ve never heard Mookie complain but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened.
I know your IQ is limited because you’re a fish, but the common denominator is the Red Sox, not a weak inference of hypocrisy on Betts’ part.
Just wanted out of Boston. Was classy enough not to say it. But look at the long history of the Fenway faithful treating Torii Hunter, Carl Crawford, Adam Jones, etc. like garbage and it makes perfect sense.
I will believe it when I see it.
Tell Betts to get something better on the open market. I doubt he would. Who the heck is willing to pay $360 million for an outfielder in this environment?
I thought LA would put a QO on Betts and extend Bellinger in a year. Or that’s now happening after the Kershaw deal is up? Either way, LA remains a dangerous team.
So the cap in the NFL is going down next year. Owners already proposed slashing it by 40 mill.
Will the MLB see a similar slashing of the luxury tax line ? Is that a possibility?
We have no idea because the CBA is up after next year. The Dodgers can afford to pay Mookie because the club gets so much revenue from, well, everything AND they evaluate talent so well they can afford to fill the roster with young players and a handful of top-dollar veterans.
Yep. Looking ahead, they have a ton of young, controllable pitching on the horizon. If a team drafts well and develops talent, they can afford to splurge on a great player when one comes along. Textbook management of resources.
Lol
Trout signed for a little discount, Mookie isn’t. Considering he’s on the short list for 2nd-best overall player in baseball, good for him.
This sounds like a bad idea TBH. He’s great, but he’s not Trout, he just isn’t.
Mookie will be surrounded by first-rate talent. This gives him a better chance of winning championships than Trout.
Nobody is Trout, though. There are a few things in favor of it:
1. Trout gave a bit of a hometown discount. I’m sure he could have gotten $40M/yr if he tested the market.
2. Mookie is a year younger than Trout. He should be highly productive for the first half of this deal, perhaps longer.
3. Mookie isn’t quite the hitter that Trout is, but he is a better fielder and runs a little more. Overall, if you look at WAR over the last 4 years, Trout is worth 0.065 per game, while Betts is worth 0.055. Yes, it’s a difference, but I rather doubt any other position player exceeds Betts over the past 4 years.
For real. Can people stop saying he doesn’t deserve to be paid more than Mike Trout? Mike Trout sold himself WAY short. If he waits out FA he gets $500m easy. Mookie on the other hand does not seem interested in selling himself short.
it be a fun thing to see betts sign when alot of people thought this be a one year deal and he might return to boston. nope looks like he a dodger for a while.
But but thats impossible..Andrew Friedman doesn’t sign these types of contracts. I was told this was only a rental by Red Sox fans and that he was back in Boston this offseason
it was just wishful thinking by sox fans. they thought they could make a trade with the dodgers and just get betts back next season. nope not gotta happen.
It wouldn’t have happened without paying him fair market value. But then again, not trading him wouldn’t have changed that.
How does he get more than Trout?
Because Trout signed for a 28% discount
I know you can get extreme comps that don’t really apply because they’re so bad like the Albies contract but you’d think the Trout deal would kind of set the market for these long, star caliber deals. Even if it was a discount.
Nope. Everyone knew Trout could have done better then and everyone knows Trout could have done better now.
Yep, Trout could have considered signing with the Dodgers to improve his chance of winning championships. This would have forced Arte to come up with an offer that would have blown everyone out of the water.
Because the Dodgers will be paying it to him. They are an organization that cares about winning.
his best season was when red sox were allegedly cheating. i don’t mind dodgers making mistake like this!
Yes, but you could also view it as his best season was when he had his best protection in the lineup. His other superlative year, he had David Ortiz in the lineup with him. I don’t think their cheating helped them as much as the Astros were helped by theirs, but even without that, he’s still one of the top players in the game.
As a RS fan congrats to Mookie. I didn’t want to sign him back to be honest after the trade I moved on from him.
I hope Betts signs in LA. Being a Yankee fan and having our pitchers not seeing Betts 17 games a year is a plus ( same applies to Tampa Bay, Toronto and even Baltimore)
out of boston matchbox he will never be worth that much! huge mistake on dodgers part!
No offense, but I’ll trust Andrew Friedman’s instincts over yours.
The matchbox has nothing to do with it. Actually his athleticism plays better in a big ballpark.
This is such a bad contact for the Dodgers. They don’t even NEED Betts. Dodgers have top talent, they are always playing in October, they have their own homegrown players on track to get paid and their attendance at Dodger stadium is one of the best in baseball. From an investment perspective this is a bad deal with zero upside. Betts isn’t even the missing piece to a Championship. The weakness of the Dodgers is in the bullpen and in the manager. Great for Betts though. He’s no doubt a top ten talent in this league and looks like a solid person off the field.
dodgers are one of the richest teams in baseball if they were worry about paying players they woudnt be in talks for a huge deal they be fine. if you actually watch games it more about roberts use of the pen than the talent in the pen.
The Dodgers care about winning. As a fan, this is what you like to see. A commitment to getting better, even after a 106-win season. In my 53 years as a Dodger fan, this is the best shape the organization has ever been in. Btw, they don’t have a weakness at manager. Dave Roberts is the best I’ve seen in that dugout. Lasorda was lousy. Had he not been gifted a playoff spot in ’81, he would have been gone long before ’88. Roberts is a real leader and not a Hollywood phony like “Swami” was. People who knock Doc need to pay closer attention because he is not a problem. Also, the main weakness in the post-season has been hitting. In the ‘2017 World Series, the big four of Seager, Turner, Bellinger, and Puig were a combined 18-for-104. The team also didn’t hit against the Red Sox and Nats. Against the Nats, their best talents, Bellinger and Seager, drove in zero runs in 41 at-bats. They need to turn that around, and probably will. In the meantime, Friedman and the organization should be commended for trying to get better. They understand that winning is money.
Lol, sign a HOF in prime, is a bad contract? If you’ve watched ANY Dodger post season series, the hitting has died and they have no real leadoff hitter. Betts checks all boxes. If DH comes to NL soon it’ll be even a better signing. The have nearly 600 million in revenue and can easily afford him.
Player development and payroll management are top-notch under Friedman. He learned those lessons in Tampa Bay, and they’ve come in handy even with a bigger payroll. A ton of young pitching is on the horizon. While other teams will be handing out inflated contracts to free-agent hurlers, the Dodgers will be promoting from within. And they don’t need to promote these pitchers until they are ready. This is textbook resource management. Even teams will payroll restrictions can prioritize player development. The Rays still do it.
They have ZERO championships in the past 30+ years. They needed to make a significant move to acquire a player better than anything they currently possess. Hopefully he gets them over the hump because Bellinger, Seager, Turner and company have not been able to,
brad-fish? You call him a hypocrite? Seems, if this signing comes to pass, this is more about the environment. Pandamit or not.
10/10 going to call it a “pandamit” from now on.
This deal is getting done because of COVID. In normal years, it makes no sense to sign this deal now when you can get similar or more money on the free agent market in a few months.
The Dodgers finally dole out the big money deal they’ve held back on for years under Friedman and Betts cashes in as if he were a free agent without the risk of revenue hits undercutting his earning power on the free market.
Makes the Yelich contract look even better for the Brewers.
Keep telling yourself that. Meanwhile this deal gets done with the rest of the weapons they have the Dodgers will have a stranglehold on the National League for the next decade. But I’m guessing the money Christian got is worth it to a Brewers fan apparently if they keep finishing third in their own division.
Haha Brewers will win a WS before LAD. Kershaw will continue to choke in the playoffs.
Kershaw won’t be a Dodger much longer, but they have plenty of young pitching. They’ll be fine, and in a much better position than the Brewers.
The big questions between now and 2030 aare: 1: Who will be the best signing: Betts, Cole or Harper? 2; Who wins more Championships: Dodgers, Phillies or Yankees
Dodgers-Yankees. Yes, they are big-market teams, but they understand that winning is important to franchise value. Well-run organizations. If it were so easy, then the Mets and Angels would also be contending on a regular basis. The Mets lose a key player and go into a tailspin. The Yankees fill the hole and go about their business. Two teams in the same market.
First and second the last 2 seasons but don’t let facts get in the way goldendipsh!t lol
well the deal not that bad they said on sportcenter it 13 years/380
Wow. Wonder when his athleticism will drop off. My bet is age 34. And that will be just halfway into the deal.
Doesn’t deserve more than trout smh
base off twitter he not if the numbers i saw are right he getting 10 mill less 12/350
now i see the deal looks 90% done and it 12/350
damn here i thought his agent was taking a risk to lock in security ahead of a bad market. bit i was way off.
Had I seen this from the beginning, I probably would have thought the same. Going for huge dollars now seems like a huge risk so go for security instead. Getting this much in an extension wasn’t expected by me either.
Tough call for the Dodgers. They paid steeply for Betts in the first place, that was amplified by the short season, and they probably needed to lock him up at whatever price. Betts is unquestionably one of the best players in baseball. How this contract will look 4 years from now, much less eight, is anyone’s guess. He’s not big, but he’s very athletic. It’s probably the right move for LA. But it’s a heavy commitment.
Nice try. Overpaying him to stay doesn’t make the trade look better. If anything it makes it look worse because it means they overpaid for him twice.
how did they over pay twice? verdugo is no where near the player mookie is. you get good defense and a good batting avg but after that there nothing to be that excited about. he not a power hitter by any means
Because they offered more for Betts’ last year of arbitration than anyone else did.
By the way the Dodgers gave up more than just Verdugo.
As a Dodger fan, Verdugo was my favorite payer on the team. But in no way did the Dodgers overpay to land Betts. Dodgers player development is like a conveyer belt. They just keep churning out big-league ready prospects. Verdugo, Downs, Wong, and Maeda for Betts, Price, and Graterol? Gotta give to get, and the Dodgers can easily absorb what was “lost” in the trade because they are deep in catching and middle infield prospects. What surprised me was Boston not getting a pitcher in return. Caleb Ferguson is low on the Dodgers’ depth chart but would have slotted right into the Red Sox’ rotation. I’m happy the Dodgers hung onto all the pitching.
Your comment isn’t particularly responsive. Having paid a lot to get him, rather than just participating in a salary dump, they had an incentive to lock him up. As for overpaying him now, maybe, but few of this enormous contracts ever give value through their entire term, and every team knows it, and amortizes what they think the bad years are over the life of the contract. It wouldn’t surprise me if he were a true star for another 4 years, a credible player for the following four, and probably replacement value after that. Maybe he tacks on another 40WAR. Overpay? Probably. More of an overpay to the team, given its resources, than Machado? Nope.
Them having given up a lot to acquire him isn’t an incentive to lock him up. What they gave up to get him is a sunk cost. Verdugo, Downs and Wong aren’t coming back.
they in no way gave up a lot.they actually gave up little. with the depth the dodgers turn out year after year in the minors makes up for it. verdugo a decent player but will never be mookie, downs was block by guys like seager, kiki, taylor,lux etc.. dodgers are actually lucky soxs couldnt get one of thier young pitchers.
They gave up 2 top 100 prospects and one of them even put up good rookie numbers in the majors. That is a lot compared to what teams have payed for in the past for a one year rental. The most recent trade I have seen for a rental that might have been more expensive was Chapman for Torres.
The cost compared to the market is not changed by the fact that the Dodgers payed from their wealth. If I sold a bottle of water to Bill Gates for $5,000 that is still an extremely expensive water bottle no matter how much Bill Gates has.
Signing him still doesn’t make the trade look better. Unless we believe that they would have had to pay him more money if they hadn’t traded for him. And even then, that “more money” has to be weighed against the surplus value lost from Verdugo, Downs and Wong and from taking Price.
Great player and worth the AAV, but not for 12-13 years. Theres gonna be some pain there for LA…
The big questions between now and 2030 are: 1: Who will be the best signing: Betts, Cole, Harper or Trout? 2; Who wins more Championships: Angels, Dodgers, Phillies or Yankees
if your going base off those 4 teams yanks or dodgers, philly close by and angels will never win anything if they dont get pitching
Hmm..They probably are the 4 most iconic players of the sport today.
I always thought he just wanted out of Boston, that he’d be up for an extension most other places. Just a hunch from all the comments from guys like Torii Hunter and CC Sabathia about what it is like playing in Fenway with dark skin.
Mookie is now the second best center fielder in the LA market.
Boy do I hate defending the Red Sox and their fans but CC Sabathia or any player wearing Pinstripes is going to get hated .Remember Bucky ( bleeping) Dent? Same thing for Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez and David Ortiz in The Bronx. Ask David Price about Yankee fans sometime. What do people expect “The Fenway Faithful” will do to Gerrit Cole when he gets taken out of the game? Love him because he is white? NO! He will be treated the same as Sabathia and he knows it.
I get the rivalry angle but dropping N bombs on a guy is not acceptable in any circumstance. Torii and Jones weren’t Yankees. Crawford was on the Sox.
There are lines. I’ve gladly heckled Dodgers and A’s players and fans but in no way or time have I or anybody I’ve sat near dropped the comments those players consistently heard in Fenway.
Again, this is just my hunch, but I always figured Mookie wanted out of Boston. I’m a massive Torii Hunter fan, though, so that might lead to some bias on my part.
Mookie is a generational talent but it is a mistake to sign him for 12 years at max money. Name one ‘little guy’ who kept his power into his mid 30’s? The first 3-4 years of this deal will look great, the 2nd 4 will be decent and the last 3-4 will be a train wreck.
That sounds like a normal mega contract which the owners stopped doing..at least for a while. I’m certainly not an advocate for the owners but it does make since to be weary of Albert Pujols type contracts.
The winning will easily make the contact worth it, even for a franchise that is already making money hand-over-fist. Owners aren’t in this to lose money. They understand the value of a star attraction like Betts, Trout, Cole, or Harper. Those contracts will pay for themselves.
How much money do you think Albert Pujols is drawing for the Angels?
You don’t give someone 12 years because you think he’s gonna be good in 12 years. He’s worth more than $29M today, so that’s the price you pay.
The problem is you are paying him like he is good 12 years from now.
WOW! I go dark on sports news for a day and THIS is what I miss?!?!
AAV feels a little light
Bad deal , In 5 years he will be half of what is is now . and whats bad for Dodger fan is they will be stuck with a lot of bad contracts in the future , as is nature , the more money you make the more fat and lazy you get and they will suffer for it . Bad contracts, too much money in them and no one to trade to unless those contracts get paid at half by the dodgers and unless the minors have talent . they will be bad for a while in the coming years.. .
What bad contracts? They have zero money invested past 2022 (before Betts). Betts’ deal won’t be bad til 2025 at the earliest. Bellinger’s gonna get a big deal too but he’s only 24. Your bias is showing.
Yes! Now Bellie. Dodgers have dollars to burn.
RS can rationalize any way they like. Superstars or elite players are rare. RS got some potentially average to above average players in return. These guys are fungible. The question that has no solid answer is whether RS could have done better in trying to keep him. As fans, no one knows what truly happened behind the scenes so any uninformed opinion is just that.
Better management of signing players would have helped to resign Mookie.
Good.
AAV is on the light side under 30 a year. Probably could of gotten more on open market. I’m sure one team would of beat that AAV but probably not the years. Good luck Mookie glad you’re no longer on Boston. I still say Boston should of demaned more for Betts. Lux,May, etc. See you in the World Series.
With this covid 19 crap going on I don’t know if I would have done this now , ( what if there’s even a seas9n next year )but not my money so I don’t care..I’m a yankeee fan that hate the Boston red socks so I’m not a fair judge on his talents.
If there isn’t a season, then he won’t be paid. What difference does it make?
Yeah he won’t get paid but the year won’t count so Mookie will be one year older at the end of the deal . All I’m saying I won’t done the deal right now
If this season somehow ends up cancelled, the players whose contracts end this year will still become free agents. If next season is cancelled, his 12 year deal would become an 11 year deal. There is no such thing as a postponement clause in baseball contracts.
Can we finally get people to shut up about what a heavy price Alex Verdugo was to get Betts now?
No they didn’t have to give up Alex Verdugo to be able to offer Betts all this money
In order to do it before anyone else, yes they did. Exclusive negotiation rights are very valuable. It’s likely that the Dodgers could outbid anyone, but not guaranteed. Verdugo is worth not taking that chance.
Just how much more money do you really think the Dodgers would have had to pony up to sign him as a FA? And was saving that money REALLY worth losing Verdugo, Downs and Wong and taking David Price?
It’s not a question of how much more they would have had to pay. The question is, if someone else acquired him, they could have signed him before the Dodgers ever got the chance to offer him the money at all. Right now, there are several teams that COULD have offered him this money, but they never got the chance because the Dodgers signed him before he hit the open market. If thy don’t acquire him, they could have been in that boat too.
So yes, trading away a few prospects is worth it. Prospects come and go every year, perennial MVP candidates like Betts do not.
It is not self-evident that anyone else would have been willing to pay him $365m in times like these.
When you are willing to put up this kind of $ perennial MVP candidates absolutely do come and go every year.
There is a very good chance that the combined surplus value from Verdugo, Downs and Wong ends up being greater than that from Betts.
Wow Mike Trout will still have more money in his deal than Mookie there is one criteria when both of their careers are said and done that Mookie will be heading shoulders above Mike Trout and that is World Series rings.
Yeah because the la Dodgers have all these World Series titles since 1988 …
I love Betts but not sure this deal will work out for the Dodgers.
Yeah these deals are crazy and here Pittsburgh pirates won’t pay there key players any thing for decades just trade them away …
I give it about 7 years until he’s a fulltime professional bowler.