In a development that seemingly came out of the blue on Wednesday morning, outfielder Mookie Betts and the Dodgers are reportedly close to finalizing a mammoth, multi-year contract extension.
According to Jon Heyman’s latest reports, the agreement is for 12 years and $350 million on top of the $27 million salary that Betts is receiving this year. The average annual value of the deal calculates to just over $31.6 million per season.
As far as the richest, active contracts go in the majors, the $377 million promised to the 27-year-old Betts would be the second-highest deal, landing him smack dab in between Mike Trout‘s $426.5 million and Bryce Harper‘s $330 million.
The news initially surfaced in a tweet on Wednesday by Lou Merloni of WEEI FM 93.7 at around 10:00 a.m. Eastern time. Heyman backed Merloni’s information shortly thereafter.
Fans of the Dodgers obviously knew the team was pursuing a long-term deal with Betts, but most never guessed it would happen so quickly.
From the moment that Betts landed in Los Angeles last winter, front-office boss Andrew Friedman made it no secret how much he coveted the superstar outfielder long before he orchestrated the biggest blockbuster of the offseason.
Said Friedman of Betts, “he embodies everything we value in a position player.”
One of the most interesting comments from Friedman came in February when he was a guest on Sirius XM’s MLB Network Radio. Friedman explained that he started working Chaim Bloom on Betts’ availability even before Bloom was officially named the Boston general manager last fall.
“It’s been a long road,” Friedman said. “Even when I was talking to Chaim when he was interviewing with the Red Sox, I was getting in my Mookie comments to him if he got the job. It took him a little while to get his arms wrapped around everything.”
Coincidentally, Bloom worked for Friedman during his days in Tampa.
What’s more, Friedman confessed that he spent a significant amount of time inquiring about Betts with Boston’s former president of baseball ops, Dave Dombrowski. When asked by Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times if they made progress, Friedman said, “The Red Sox won a bunch of games in a row and they stopped the discussions.”
Betts last year slashed .295/.391/.524 with 29 home runs and 80 RBI for the Red Sox, primarily hitting in the leadoff position. His efforts tallied him a 6.6 fWAR, good enough for fifth-best in the American League.
Betts’ benchmark campaign came in 2018 when he slashed a monstrous .346/438/.640 with 47 doubles, 32 long balls and 80 RBI alongside 30 swiped bags, earning him American League Most Valuable Player honors.
Once finalized, the extension would take Betts through his age 40 season.
Update: Dodgers make Betts signing official, per a statement released by the team on Wednesday afternoon.
Think Blue Planning Committee 
I think we are all very happy Friedman didn’t back the Brinks truck up for Machado now. For similar money we got 5x the player Machado is.
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…and 5x the better attitude. 🙂
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Not to mention Harper. Mookie was worth waiting for.
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That could be the basis of a good column: A Harper vs. a Machado vs. a Betts signing.
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Seager, Belly and Buehler. Do they all get paid? That will be well over a billion in the books forever for 4 guys! I’d settle for a mil a year if that would help
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I think they will definitely sign Belli and Buehler. Seager, not so much. Seager is damn good, but the other two are franchise guys. I think they look to sign Belli to a long term deal sometime next season. Betts just signed for 12 years, 365 million dollars. Kudos to you schlemmings for believing in AF.
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Now we can officially say it.
It’s great to be a Shlemming!
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Yes it must be, and a bit of crow eating time for me, but for this particular player, I will eat some. I am glad it was not the smirk, (Machado0 or the frown, (Harper). AF spent the money wisely. He no doubt will get a raise and maybe even a part ownership if Mook helps bring the big crown to LA>
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A thumbs up from bear. That’s almost better than belonging to “club shlemmings“! AF has delivered! When r u inviting up for some fishing bear?
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Sure if you think your nerves are steady enough to hold a fishing pole. You must be shaking like a leaf over this one. Calm yourself Keith, it would take a lot more than signing Betts for some one like a Schlemming to give me hell.
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Give em hell, Jeff.😁
Go team shlemming.
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None of you clowns has learned how to spell SCHLEMMING yet.
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Since I made up the name, I reserve the right to determine the proper spelling.
Hey, I wonder if Mookie discussed the “Hollywood life style” with Rendon before signing his extension. Maybe he had AF include an opt out if it gets to be too much for him. He didn’t seem too frightened about it during his presser.
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Details are coming in a little. 75 million is deferred and he got a 65 mil bonus, which is un taxable since he lives in Tennessee which has no state income tax. U spell it Ur way, and I will continue to spell it right@! LOL.
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I’m not normally for the mega deals, but this is a good one. Mr Betts is not only a great player, but the kind of young man that coaches dream of. Bear … as for Seager, he’s the same kind of quality person (and player). Would not surprise me to see him in the MVP running this year! Just sayin …
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AF up for some fishing!
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