If you’ve been listening to Barstool Sport’s Section 10 Podcast for a bit, then you’ll know that after his historic 2016 season performance, Mookie Betts was overly humble when talking about what he achieved. Stating “Last year could be arguably the best year I have in my career…I’m a realist and I know it ain’t getting much better than that,” Betts said. “When am I going to hit 30 home runs again? I don’t know if I ever will. When am I ever going to hit .320 again? I don’t know if I ever will.” These words have stuck in my head ever since he uttered those words. In 2016, Betts was an All-Star, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award winner, and not to mention finished second in AL MVP voting to Mike Trout. He “slid” in 2017, *only* making the All-Star team, winning a Gold Glove and finished sixth in AL MVP voting.
Today, in 2019, Betts knows his worth. He isn’t as humble anymore. He won’t sit at the negotiating table with the Red Sox just yet. And, you know, I can’t blame him. Last offseason the Red Sox reportedly offered him a ~$100 million deal, which he of course declined. Betts is openly willing to go to arbitration year after year until after the 2020 season when he becomes a free agent. Unlike some of his teammates, Betts doesn’t sound like he will do everything in his power to stay a Boston Red Sox. Guys like Chris Sale and Rick Porcello have stated that they want to be here for life, while Betts sounds more enthused with the idea of testing the free agent waters. Again, I can’t blame him.
Let’s make this clear – every head Red Sox decision maker has made it “crystal clear” time and time again that it is the franchise’s top priority to keep Betts here in Boston for life. Obviously. Boston has tried to talk with Betts and his party but they won’t budge. I can’t see mere negotiation talks taking place until BOTH Manny Machado and Bryce Harper have signed their deals. So, no, no deal will come this winter. It absolutely should, though. The fact that arguably the best player in the entire sport of professional baseball has to go through the arbitration process year after year is downright disrespectful, in my eyes. One of the best and most exciting players of my (17-year) lifetime should not have to plead his case in court in order to make money each year.
My motto is this: whatever Machado and Harper end up making, Betts should unequivocally make more. He should seriously already be the highest paid player in all of Major League Baseball. Although, the narrative that the Sox “missed the mark” on signing Betts at the perfect time is pretty silly. He’s Mookie Betts. He deserves to make a salary that all of us cannot comprehend, every day of every year. He is an annual MVP candidate, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner, and All-Star player. That’s essentially impossible to amount to year in and year out. Mike Trout and Mookie Betts are the utter best at what they do, and there’s not a close third. You could debate all day about who trails Betts in that general category. Let me remind you: THE RED SOX HAVE ARGUABLY THE BEST PLAYER IN ALL OF PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL. Down the road, he can absolutely become the face of Boston sports, and he’s already a face of Major League Baseball.
If the Red Sox even allow Betts the chance to seek wearing another uniform in another city, it will be one of the great embarrassments of my lifetime. Before he became a World Series champion I still felt this way. Just by watching him these past few years, sans stats, I’ve known damn well that he is an athlete I want to cheer for for as long as humanly possible. He has easily the best personality in a sport that oftentimes has the cockiest and downright coldest athletes in any sport. Baseball is the most selfish game on the planet and Betts is one of the few who have begun to change that statement, something that baseball has been desperate for for a long time now.
If Mookie Betts ever plays anywhere else besides Boston in his career, this Boston front office will have failed millions and millions of people, including Betts himself. Adding stats to the equation, the dude is already 30 wins above replacement for his five-year career. How is that even possible? He plays the best right field in the most difficult, by far, right field in all of baseball, posting a career .991 fielding percentage in his career in that corner, not to mention a .996 percentage in 2018. He led the majors in batting average with a .346 average as well as slugging at .640. He’s one of the most dangerous base runners in the league, good for 30 stolen bases a season. Especially in a stadium like Fenway, it’s insanely fascinating to see him thrive in that phase of the game. His speed helps, but his baseball IQ is off the charts. He has to be one of the most knowledgeable players in the game, let alone as a 26-year-old.
The big question is, are the Red Sox truly willing to pay him what he’s worth? I’d like to think that the answer is yes but given this team’s history with this type of scenario, I’m not so sure. They are going to have to break the bank and even make some tough decisions in order to give Betts the money he wants and deserves. Now that Betts possesses newfound confidence in himself, this makes things much more difficult for this front office. The player knows almost exactly the dollar value that he is worth, and he’s not going to budge. Nor should he. As a fan, this is a scary situation. I want what’s best for my team, the Boston Red Sox, but I also want what’s best for one of the most talented all-around athletes I’ve ever watched.
I’ve mentioned the arbitration process before, once again, something this type and caliber of player should not have to be going through. Betts and the Red Sox agreed on a 1-year, $20 million deal just a couple weeks back, thus avoiding arbitration. This seems like a good thing, but both sides have pointed out that it in no way indicates any progress made towards an extension. The year before, Betts was making just $10.5 million, for reference. For an arbitration-eligible player, these numbers are ludicrous. A perennial MVP candidate for years to come making that kind of money is not fair. He is two years away from free agency; it won’t kill him to continue going head to head with the Red Sox like this, but eventually that back and forth is going to come to an end.
The Red Sox may just have the best player in all of baseball under contract on their very team. They need to make sure the world understands that for years upon years upon years to come. Mookie Betts needs no convincing – the city of Boston is still seeing a 20-year run of excellence never before seen, and every athlete on these four teams is well aware of that.
The Boston Red Sox in no way need to pitch an above and beyond presentation about this city and its greatness to this one-of-a-kind player. What he wants and needs to see is simply $$$$$$$$$, and lots of it. This is the Boston freaking Red Sox we’re talking about. They have the monetary means to give this player what he wants, needs and deserves, it’s simply a matter of if and will they do what has to be done in the end, two or so years from now. This franchise will be ruined for lack of a better term if they manage to lose Mookie Betts. Just typing out those words sicken me. I’m hesitant to put my trust into this front office, but I have no other choice. Betts surely wants to be in Boston, simply at the right price. It’s all up to the team. I’ve always been a “not my money, not my problem” type of fan, and this line of thinking still stands. This is the Red Sox we’re talking about here. They could have locked Mookie Betts up for life by now if they really wanted to. Only time will tell if they truly want to do just that.
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