© Kirby Lee | 2020 Jul 20
So it turns out the coronavirus pandemic is not going to stop Mookie Betts from staying in Los Angeles for a very long time.
The Dodgers have agreed on a 12-year, $365 million extension with the former AL MVP according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. Betts current contract is up at the end of the year after he was traded to the Dodgers from the Red Sox this offseason for Alex Verdugo and Jeter Downs.
The report is bad news for the Giants, who will now have to face one of the best all-around players in baseball nearly 20 times per season for the foreseeable future. Betts, 27, helped the Red Sox win the title in 2018 while being named the league’s MVP, and slashed .295/.391/.524 last season. Betts also has four Gold Gloves to his name.
The Dodgers have the best attendance numbers in MLB, leading to speculation that the pandemic would hurt their chances at being able to offer Betts a longterm extension this season. A $300-plus million deal would make Betts the sixth MLB player to cross that threshold.