Boston Red Sox’ right fielder Mookie Betts is one of the best players in baseball at the moment, and it is expected that he will get one of the biggest deals in MLB history once he hits free agency in 2020. Red Sox, however, hope he won’t have a chance to explore the free market as they want him to remain the face of their franchise.
In his recent article for The Athletic, sportswriter Peter Gammons recently quoted an unnamed Red Sox’ executive who said that the organization is willing to pay big money to Betts if he wants to stay in Boston.
“If Mookie wants to stay in Boston, we’ll pay him,” – said the executive. “We want him to be the face of the franchise.”
This might not be enough to keep Betts with the team, as the 26-year-old rejected Red Sox’ approaches for contract negotiations so far.
“He’s rejected our outreach in the past. We have to know if he’s open to signing a year before he hits free agency at the end of next season,” – the executive added.
If Mookie Betts doesn’t sign the contract extension during the next offseason, Boston Red Sox will reportedly consider trading him, as they can’t afford to lose him.
Betts emerged as Red Sox’ leader in recent years thanks to his standout performances. He has four consecutive All-Star appearances and was the most significant factor in the team’s World Series run last season when he also won the AL MVP honors.
Betts played 122 games in 2019 so far, and he is currently batting .281 with 20 home runs and 63 RBIs. He also scored the most runs in the American League this season.