Dodgers, Mookie Betts Agree To 12-Year Deal Worth Record $365M
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA/AP) - Not only is Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts the highest paid player in the history of Major League Baseball, he's also in Los Angeles for the long haul.
It was baseball's first big-money deal since the coronavirus pandemic decimated the sport's economics, with Betts agreeing to a $365 million, 12-year contract through 2032. The deal includes a record $65 million signing bonus and, when added to the one year and $27 million Betts is earning this season, tops Mike Trout's $360 million extension according to ESPN.
The massive deal removes the top offensive player from next offseason's free-agent class and puts the longtime Boston Red Sox slugger in the middle of LA's lineup for what he thinks will be the rest of his career. The Dodgers only acquired Betts in a trade Feb. 10, but he eagerly bypassed the uncertainties of free agency for a secure future with an organization that already feels like home.
"I just love being here," Betts said in a video conference call from Dodger Stadium, where he will make his Dodgers debut Thursday against San Francisco. "I love everything about here. I'm here to win some rings and bring championships back to LA. That's all I'm focused on."
Betts' new deal is baseball's second-largest in total dollars behind the $426.5 million, 12-year contract for Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout covering 2019-30. Trout and Betts are arguably the top two outfielders in the game, and now they've both got deals that should keep them playing 32 miles apart for at least the next decade.
"I'm excited for him," said Trout, who texted his congratulations to Betts. "We kind of went through the same situation. I was laughing because of the physical he probably had to take, because mine lasted about 10 hours. Being so close to him now, it's pretty cool to have him out here. Southern California is great."
Betts, who turns 28 in October, was acquired along with pitcher David Price for three promising Dodgers prospects in a blockbuster trade that signaled Los Angeles' determination to win the World Series after claiming the NL pennants in 2017 and 2018.
While Price opted out of the current season because of family health concerns, Betts will be at the heart of the Dodgers' lineup as they pursue their first championship in 32 years as a World Series favorite.
The deep-pocketed Dodgers have run their payroll with remarkable discipline under president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, even when he occasionally frustrated fans with his caution. Friedman had no such concerns about handing this massive commitment to the 5-foot-9 Betts, the 2018 AL MVP and one of the majors' top all-around players.
"It was front of mind for us," Friedman said. "It was something we really wanted to do. ... We were hopeful that he'd get here, fall in love with it, go out there and win a bunch of games."
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)