Dellin Betances is taking his talents across the Whitestone Bridge.
The four-time All-Star reliever and longtime New York Yankees star joined the crosstown rival New York Mets on a one-year deal that also includes a player option for 2021.
‘Twas the night before Christmas...When we signed four-time All-Star RHP Dellin Betances (@DBetances68) to a one-year contract with a player option for 2021!
— New York Mets (@Mets) December 24, 2019
More Info: https://t.co/49gV6Tt7Z3 pic.twitter.com/ogdRyzKEDj
The deal will pay Betances a guaranteed salary of $10.5 million, ESPN's Jeff Passan reports, and can jump to as high as $13 million if he appears in 70 games.
His 2021 player option is worth $6 million and includes a $3-million buyout, according to Tim Britton of The Athletic. The option also includes escalator bonuses based on games pitched that could max out at $9.8 million, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
In addition to the 2021 option, Betances' contract also contains a vesting player option for 2022 that will be added to the deal if he appears in at least 50 games in 2020, according to Sherman. The 2022 option is worth $1 million with a $500,000 buyout, but can jump to as high as $3 million based on games pitched.
Betances does not have to decide on his 2022 player option until after the 2021 season. The 2022 bases are so low that it is just protection in case he is hurt or performance flags. If he is healthy/successful after either 2020 or 2021, Betances will head back into free agency
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) December 24, 2019
Betances, a native of New York City, chose to remain at home with the Mets over a larger contract elsewhere, sources told Andy Martino of SNY. Playing for new Mets manager Carlos Beltran, his former Yankees teammate, was also a big factor in his decision, according to Martino.
"I love New York," Betances said. "I grew up in Manhattan. Went to high school in Brooklyn. Played minor-league ball in Staten Island. Made it to the big leagues in the Bronx. Now, I'm excited to go win a World Series with the Mets in Queens."
Betances missed most of 2019 after suffering a shoulder injury in spring training. When he did finally return to the majors Sept. 15, he threw just two-thirds of an inning before suffering a partially torn Achilles tendon while hopping off the mound after a strikeout.
While he was faced with a lengthy rehab, the partial tear meant that Betances didn't require surgery to repair his Achilles.
Before his injury, the 31-year-old acted as a cornerstone of the Yankees' powerful bullpen for much of the past decade. From 2014-18, Betances posted a sparkling 2.22 ERA (188 ERA+), 2.26 FIP, and 1.01 WHIP with 607 strikeouts and 36 saves. His 11.2 WAR over that span was higher than every reliever except Aroldis Chapman.
In 2018, Betances became the first reliever in history to record five straight 100-strikeout seasons.
Once healthy, Betances will join a Mets bullpen that has the potential to be an excellent unit. He'll join a couple of other bounce-back candidates in closer Edwin Diaz and longtime Met Jeurys Familia, among others. The team also re-signed right-hander Brad Brach earlier this winter.
To make room for Betances on the 40-man roster, the Mets designated infielder Sam Haggerty for assignment.
Betances' other suitors this winter included the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Yankees didn't aggressively try to retain Betances, according to Martino.
