Report: Betts, Red Sox settle on $20M for 2019
The Boston Red Sox and reigning American League MVP Mookie Betts settled on a $20-million salary for 2019 on Friday, avoiding arbitration, a source told ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Betts' $20-million salary is a record for a second-year arbitration-eligible player. It's a $9.5-million raise for the 26-year-old outfielder, who earned $10.5 million last season.
Some more context to this settlement. Betts is a second-time-eligible player. His $20 million salary is higher than every second- and third-time-eligible player and pitcher. Only fourth-time-eligible players who got that extra season as a Super 2 have exceeded $20 million.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 11, 2019
Betts is coming off a career year for the World Series champions. He led the AL in batting average (.346), runs (129), and slugging percentage (.640).