MLB Free Agents: 5 hitters set to test the market in 2021
Mookie Betts – Los Angeles Dodgers
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Finally, we have come to one of the most highly anticipated MLB free agents in a generation. Unlike Mike Trout, who is most certainly the games best player, Mookie Betts — the games 2nd best player — wants to see what he’s worth in the market, and, frankly, so do we.
After reportedly turning down a 10-year, $300M offer from the Boston Red Sox prior to the 2019 MLB season, the writing was on the wall in terms of Betts’ future with the Red Sox. As a result, one year later, he and David Price were sent to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Alex Verdugo and some shortstop named Jeter.
Now, what exactly is a player of Mookie’s caliber worth?
Well, according to Spotrac’s market value tool, he should receive somewhere along the lines of $35.1M AAV. Other tools, such as FanGraphs’ value graph had Betts’ value at $53M last season alone.
My prediction is that he gets somewhere between the two largest contracts in the game:
- Mike Trout – 12 years, $426.5M
- Bryce Harper – 13 years, $330M
Specifically, I wouldn’t be surprised if Mookie Betts got something like 10-years, $375M. In doing so, he’d land just beneath the best player in baseball cumulatively. In terms of annually, however, he’d place above Gerrit Cole, who tops all of baseball at $36M AAV.