Mookie Betts smiles as he high-fives teammates after scoring a run in the second inning during a Boston Red Sox game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on June 14, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images)
According to multiple reports, Mookie Betts and the Boston Red Sox have reached an arbitration settlement for $20 million ahead of the 2019 season. Jon Heyman was first to report the news on Twitter, erroneously typing “Moose” instead of Mookie.
The $20 million total is huge for an arbitration settlement, granting Betts a nearly 50 percent raise and setting a big new precedent for similar players in the future. It’s a record number for a player in his second year of arbitration. But it’s still worth it on the Red Sox’ end, paying a reasonable price for the 2018 American League MVP.
Betts finished the regular season with a league-leading .346 average, 32 home runs, and 80 RBIs in just 136 games to win AL MVP honors for the first time in his career.
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