Red Sox owner wants to sign Mookie to long-term deal

If John Henry has things his way, Mookie Betts won't be hitting free agency at the end of the 2020 season.

The owner of the Boston Red Sox understands how valuable the three-time All-Star is to the organization, and has told Betts on a number of occasions he hopes to lock him up to a long-term contract.

"Yes, over the last two offseasons," Henry said of reaching out to Betts about a possible long-term deal, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. "I wanted to ensure that Mookie knew personally how important he is to us and to our future."

While there's been no public animosity between Betts and the team regarding past contract negotiations, there have been several instances where the two sides weren't on the same page. It was reported last summer that the Red Sox approached Betts about a long-term extension during the previous offseason, but he declined, saying he was more comfortable going year to year.

Betts and the Red Sox were also unable to avoid arbitration this winter and had to have their case settled through a hearing. Betts won his case and received his requested $10.5-million salary for 2018, a substantial difference from the Red Sox's $7.5-million offer. Following the hearing, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said their relationship remained good despite having to go to arbitration.

Betts is enjoying the best season of his career and is a candidate to win his first MVP award. In 89 games, he's hitting .338/.422/.648 with 25 home runs, 27 doubles, and 20 stolen bases.