Congrats to my boy Mookie Betts
2018 world series champion
2018 MLB Baseball season MVP
Mookie Betts contract: David Ortiz says Red Sox made ‘good offer,' Betts will receive deal close to Mike Trout’s $430M
Updated 2:54 PM; Today 2:53 PM
David Ortiz discusses Boston Red Sox trading Mookie Betts at spring training 2020
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By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. — David Ortiz said the Red Sox made Mookie Betts “a good offer” and the 2018 AL MVP eventually receive a contract near Mike Trout’s $430 million deal.
Boston traded Betts and David Ortiz to the Los Angeles Dodgers for major league outfielder
Alex Verdugo and prospects
Jeter Downs and
Connor Wong.
“Unfortunately this game, it’s not just a game. It’s business,” Ortiz said. “Mookie’s situation, it’s hard to get rid of someone like him, someone like David Price. What they bring to the table is more than enough. But the business side, we also know that Mookie is going to be a guy that’s gonna get a deal close to what Mike Trout has. I’m pretty sure it’s going to happen at some point.
“I guess that’s the difference between having him here and having him go to LA," Ortiz added. "We all understand that. I know fans are hurting a little bit because you let a franchise player go somewhere else. That’s the tricky part about baseball. You fall in love with players and the business side of it sometimes don’t allow the team to keep up with 'em. And there’s always the one time where you have to say goodbye like the organization say to Mookie and David Price.”
Ortiz said the Red Sox always will appreciate what Betts and Price did here. The former DH said he understood the business side even when he was a player.
Betts is eligible for free agency after the 2020 season.
He will earn $27 million in 2020 and has strongly indicated
he plans to test the free agent market and not sign a contract extension.
“Sometimes people think that as a player we get greedy when it comes down to (a) contract,” Ortiz said. “But it only goes around once. It doesn’t go around twice. It goes around once and you’ve gotta get what you earned. Because nobody give you anything in this game. You’ve gotta earn it. And Mookie has earned every single dollar that he’s gonna get.
“So if I’m him, I’m not gonna leave $50, 60, $70 million on the table just because,” Ortiz added. "It is what it is. We had a good offer for him but I understand that he, somewhere else, is gonna get more. So I think the Red Sox’s decision with him was perfect because you’re not just going to let a great player go after the season. Before the season even begins, you try to get something in exchange that you can have for a long period of time. For both sides I think it was really good. Plus, we all know that we’re trying to reduce payroll.”
Ortiz said isn’t surprised the Red Sox traded Betts.
“I wasn’t expecting it this early, but I know that something was going to happen,” Ortiz said.
Ortiz thinks the Red Sox can win without Betts.
“They won without me,” Ortiz said.