The Boston Red Sox may be down and out when it comes to 2019, but there was plenty of news coming from Fenway Park on Friday evening.
Red Sox ownership met with the media to go over a number of topics before the team dives into what figures to be a pretty pivotal offseason.
John Henry and Tom Werner addressed the decision to part ways with Dave Dombrowski as the president of baseball operations and gave an update on how the search for a replacement is going. They also touched on Mookie Betts, who is eligible to become a free agent at the end of the 2020 season, saying they hope that the outfielder remains in Boston for the entirety of his career.
“We would hope that he stays with us for the rest of his career. We have made some proposals in the past,” Werner told reporters, via The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier. He also said the team has not considered a plan B or a plan C.
Werner also said he believes Betts loves it in Boston.
It’s been tough to get a read on how Betts feels about staying in Boston. He never has explicitly said he plans to leave via free agency, but has suggested that staying with one team for the entirety of his career will not necessarily sway how he sees his legacy.
Betts, who turns 27 in October, has established himself as one of the best players in baseball. His résumé includes four All-Star selections, three Gold Glove Awards, two Silver Slugger Awards, an MVP Award and a World Series title. It’s fair to assume he’ll land a huge contract — perhaps in excess of $300 million — on the open market, and the former fifth-round pick refuses to be swayed by whatever strong feelings might crop up, for better or worse.
