Jake Dicker
EXHALE DODGER FANS.
In a span of six weeks, Mookie Betts went from potentially never playing a game in Dodger blue, to becoming the face of their organization for the next decade. Today, Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a 12 year/$365 million contract extension, keeping Mookie in LA until 2032.
The Dodgers acquired Betts in the offseason in a blockbuster deal with the Boston Red Sox which sent not only Betts, but left handed pitcher David Price to LA. The Dodgers took a chance. Mookie was entering the final year of his contract and had just declined a monster 10 year/$300 million contract extension offer from the Red Sox. He seemed destined to hit the open market in the winter. The Dodgers were banking on making a strong impression on Betts throughout the 2020 season and selling him on their commitment to winning not only now, but in the future.
Then the pandemic hit, and if no season was played, Betts was going to hit the open market without ever having played a game for the Dodgers. Worst case scenario. Alex Verdugo and Jeter Downs get shipped off to Boston for David Price, and Betts most likely walks in the offseason. Fortunately, the MLB and the MLBPA came to an agreement, a season is being played, and one day before Opening Day, the Dodgers made headlines. Mookie Betts will be a Dodger for 13 years, and it is fair to assume that if the deal does not include opt-outs, this will be the final contract of Mookie’s career, who will be 40 when this deal is completed.
Betts is a clearcut top 5 player in baseball (2nd behind Mike Trout in my personal opinion), and will be a staple in the Dodger outfield for the next decade. I’m sure nobody needs to be convinced of Betts’s talent, but just incase, here are some numbers. Since being called up in 2014, Mookie ranks tied for 1st in the MLB in doubles (229), trails only Mike Trout in WAR, has a career OPS of .893, and put together one of the best seasons in MLB history in 2018. In 2018, Betts walked away with the AL MVP, a Gold Glove, and a Silver Slugger. He finished with a slash line of .346/.438/.640, both his batting average and OPS were tops in baseball. Betts is a generational talent, evident by his play on the field and supported by the analytics as well.
Both Mookie Betts and Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman met with the media today via Zoom for some questions. Friedman started it off by saying, “Today is a very exciting day … When you make this kind of investment, you’re not just betting on the player’s ability, you’re betting on the person. We couldn’t be more excited to make this investment with Mookie Betts”. Friedman made it clear that as excited as he is for what Betts will produce on the field, his impact on the clubhouse, specifically the immense amount of young talent, is just as valuable.
Betts answered questions from the media, calling today the day “[he’s] been working for [his] entire life” and assured Dodger fans that he is “super excited to be part of this organization for the rest of [his] career”. Friedman was asked about negotiations, and revealed that negotiations on an extension began at Spring Training, subsided when baseball took a backseat to the pandemic, and then resurfaced during this Summer Camp period. Mookie wanted to get the deal done before Opening Day, and they did.
One thing is clear: the Dodgers are committed to winning for a very long time. The Dodgers backed up the Brinks truck for Betts, which is something the Red Sox just were not willing to do. Are the Dodgers going to be paying Mookie an insane amount of money in his age 37, 38, 39 seasons? Yup. But that’s the price you pay in order to lock him up for his age 28-35 seasons, and he is worth every penny.
The 12 year extension tacks on to the 1 year left on his current deal, making his current contact 13 years/$392 million, expiring after the 2032 season.
The Dodgers open the regular season tomorrow at home against the San Francisco Giants. Clayton Kershaw will make his 9th consecutive Opening Day start.
