Thursday, August 2, 2018

Red Sox Owner John Henry Claims He Wants To Sign Mookie Betts Long-Term

(Getty Images)
It's something every Red Sox fan recognizes as a necessity: sign Mookie Betts to a long-term extension and keep him in Boston his entire career. Red Sox principal owner John Henry, in comments to The Boston Globe (which he owns), claims that he's made such an offer to Betts the past two off-seasons. Mookie and his representatives (The Legacy Agency) apparently declined and would prefer that the three-time All-Star play on year-to-year contracts. Said Henry about whether he offered a long-term deal, "Yes, over the last two off-seasons. I wanted to ensure that Mookie knew personally how important he is to us and to our future." It's unclear if things are all 'hunky-dory' between the player and the team—as both had to go to an arbitration hearing (which Betts won) to agree on the right-fielder's 2018 salary. As we have said on multiple occasions, getting Betts signed to a long-term deal may be a pivotal defining accomplishment of this ownership group's legacy—along with the 2004 ring. Betts is a transformational, once-in-a-lifetime player. Don't just talk about signing him—offer the moon if you have to and get it done!