There’s no question Mookie Betts will be some team’s big prize in the next 12-plus months.
The Boston Red Sox right fielder is No. 1 on MLB.com’s list of baseball’s top 21 free agents for 2021. Betts is expected to be in Boston’s lineup on Opening Day but he also is determined to enter free agency when his contract expires after the 2020 Major League Baseball season.
“Things can and will happen over the course of the upcoming season, but Betts’ spot atop this list is unquestionable at this point,” MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince wrote Saturday.
“Betts broke a record by scoring a $27 million deal for his final round of arbitration, and next winter he’ll be looking to break Bryce Harper’s record $330 million free-agent contract. Over the past four seasons, the only player with a higher FanGraphs Wins Above Replacement tally than Betts (30.7) is Mike Trout (34.9).”
As the 2018 American League MVP and a member of the 2019 All-MLB Second Team, Betts undeniably is a superstar. The fact that he’s 27 years old only will make interested teams more determined to secure his services.
Betts’ future is the Red Sox’s No. 1 storyline heading into the 2020 MLB season, and baseball fans everywhere will be watching Boston closely for clues about what lies ahead for MLB’s top free-agent-to-be.
