Red Sox Arbitration Tracker: Mookie Betts Gets Record Deal; JBJ Also Agrees

Friday is a busy day for teams across Major League Baseball, especially the Boston Red Sox.

The deadline for arbitration settlements is Friday, and the Sox have no shortage of valuable contributors up for new deals. None is bigger than outfielder Mookie Betts, who is expected to earn a record-setting amount of money likely surpassing the previous record set by Nolan Arenado, who walked away with $26 million last year.

Here are the results from Friday’s arbitration settlements for eligible Red Sox players and what they’ll make for the 2020 season:

OF Mookie Betts — $27 million (source)
As mentioned, Betts was expected to set the new standard and he just did that as he prepares to enter the final season of his first contract. Friday’s news does little, if anything, to change the club’s situation regarding the superstar outfielder. Betts’ name continues to pop up in trade speculation, despite reported insistence from the team that it isn’t shopping the 2018 American League MVP. However, Boston’s oft-stated goal to get under the luxury tax just got even more difficult, and it would obviously get even harder if the Sox somehow got Betts to sign an extension. That seems very unlikely, and Betts’ future is far from settled other than the fact he’s getting a very nice raise for 2020.

OF Jackie Bradley Jr. — $11 million (source)
Like Betts, Bradley’s name has also come up in trade speculation. Regardless, this modest salary bump is well-deserved after Bradley socked 21 home runs in 2019 while playing his usual elite defense. But the Red Sox still have looming decisions to make regarding the outfielder and his future in Boston.

RHP Brandon Workman — $3.5 million (source)

RHP Matt Barnes — $3.1 million (source)

RHP Heath Hembree — $1.6125 million (source)

The only players the Red Sox did not reach agreements with were Andrew Benintendi and Eduardo Rodriguez. Here’s what’s next for them.