Outfielder Mookie Betts is getting a one-year, $27 million deal from the Boston Red Sox in a record agreement to avoid arbitration, a source told ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Friday.The amount breaks the arbitration record of $26 million, set by Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado last offseason.The Red Sox on Friday also reached one-year deals with outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. ($11 million) and relievers Brandon Workman ($3.5 million), Matt Barnes ($3.1 million) and Heath Hembree ($1.6125 million), sources told ESPN.Betts, who will be a free agent after the 2020 season, hit .295 with 29 home runs and 80 RBIs last season. He also led the AL with 135 runs scored.The 27-year-old Betts, a homegrown talent who led the team to its World Series championship in 2018, also avoided arbitration in 2019 by settling with the Red Sox for $20 million.Selected by Boston in the fifth round of the 2011 draft, Betts is a career .301 hitter with an .893 OPS. Since making his major league debut in June 2014, Betts has led the major leagues in runs scored (613) and is second in extra-base hits (394) and fourth in hits (965). He also has led the Red Sox in home runs (139) and is second in RBIs (470) during that span.Three times, Betts has hit three home runs in a game — more than any other MLB player since 2014.Betts, who plays half his games in Fenway Park’s notoriously difficult outfield, has won four consecutive Gold Gloves, putting him in elite company. In 2019, he had a 15 defensive runs saved (DRS) rating, the best among AL right fielders, and he had the best fielding percentage of all right fielders (.997).Betts led the majors with a .346 batting average, a .640 slugging percentage and 129 runs scored en route to the MVP award in 2018. He also won Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards.He also has a runner-up finish in AL MVP balloting to his credit, finishing behind Mike Trout in 2016 after hitting .318 with 31 homers, 26 stolen bases and 214 hits.Bradley, who is set to be a free agent after the 2020 season, hit .225 with 21 home runs and 62 RBIs in 2019 while making $8.55 million.The right-handed Workman, 31, was 10-1 for the Red Sox last season with 16 saves, 104 strikeouts and a 1.88 ERA in 73 games.The 29-year-old Barnes had four saves while posting a 3.78 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 64 ⅓ innings last season.Hembree, 30, had a 3.86 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 39 ⅔ innings in 2019.The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: Betts gets record $27M from Red Sox
