Mark this day on your calendars. On this date, Wednesday July 22, 2020 the year of our lord Dodger’s president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman finally acted like a real large market general manager/executive by signing Perennial MVP Candidate Mookie Betts to a massive 12-year 365 million dollar contract extension. This is the second biggest contract behind Mike Trout‘s mega-deal, I think.
Regardless of the dollar amount, this is a great deal for the Dodgers. No matter how you look at it, Betts is one of the best players in the game and this keeps him in Dodger Blue until he’s 40-years old. While some people may not like the Dodgers spending this kind of money on one player, I should probably remind yoiu that the Dodgers are a multi-million dollar franchise run and owned by a billion dollar conglomerate. Something tells me their finances will be just fine.
More on Betts contract with Dodgers, per source: $115M of $365 million is deferred. Deal does not include opt-outs or a no-trade clause. But if Betts is traded, deferrals in subsequent years will be converted into present-day dollars, creating greater financial value.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 22, 2020
can confirm: #Dodgers and Betts in agreement on a 12-yr, #365M extension in which Betts receives a $65M signing bonus. @JeffPassan 1st
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 22, 2020
More details on Betts deal, per source: $65M signing bonus, which is not taxable for him as a non-California resident. Bonus helps compensate for relatively low salaries of $17.5M in 2021 and ‘22 and also protects Betts against lingering pandemic issues and potential lockout.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 22, 2020
But getting back to Friedman, I am absolutely loving this. It only took him five years, (yes count five on your hand) five years I repeat to not only bring in a star, but sign them to a long-term contract. Or sign any player to a contract of this magnitude. I’m sure some people may rebute me by saying that Friedman discovered and signed Cody Bellinger….actually no. Bellinger was drafted and signed in 2013 under Ned Colletti and Logan White.
Or Maybe you bring up Justin Turner, surely Friedman signed him right? Wrong. Turner was signed before the 2014 season again by Colletti and White. But what about Joc Pederson, and Ross Stripling, and Corey Seager, and Julio Urias. Sorry but no. All of those guys were discovered, drafted and signed under Uncle Ned and Logan White. A good majority of the roster was acquired under Colletti and White.
The point isn’t to harp on Friedman. I’ve certainly done that enough over the years. And yes he’s responsible for bringing in good players like Max Muncy, Chris Taylor, Enrique Hernandez, Walker Buehler, Dustin May, Will Smith and Gavin Lux. The point is that the Dodgers are finally operating like a large market club and opening up the wallet for the upper tier of free agents. That’s the way they are supposed to be acting. Because the Dodgers have enough cash and branding to spend money and operate like the Oakland A’s. They are able to do both at the same time. Not many franchises can do that. Anyways, here’s to Mookie Betts a Dodger for life, and one heck of a way to start the 2020 season.
This was a surprise for sure and a good risk to take. The deals will only get way bigger from here on out with so many younger superstars around the league these days.
The Dodgers need to make sure they can keep the excellent crop of players they already have like Bellinger, Seager and others. I like Betts but not at the expense of letting to of super players plus they will have to have more pitching.
Can’t sign everyone Package.
I know nothing, but I wouldn’t go buying my son a Seager jersey.
Does that mean you think Seager won’t be a Dodger for long?
I don’t know what Bluto thinks but I think that losing Seager is a reasonable thought. Of course it would have to be a good return. I would hate to lose him but I think it is certainly a possibility. We do need a good SS though so it would be a very hard decision.
I don’t think they’ll trade him, but:
1. They can’t sign everyone.
2. His agent is Boras
3. Informed reporters have mentioned the team would be willing to move him.
I’m uninformed, as are we all, but it’s an educated guess.