Mookie Betts Opens Up About Past Contract Talks With Red Sox

Mookie Betts departed from the Red Sox three years ago, dealt in a blockbuster deal with the Dodgers and the now-30-year-old star outfielder revisited the topic of long-term contract talks in Boston.

Boston sent Betts to Los Angeles, acquiring Alex Verdugo, Connor Wong and former prospect Jeter Downs. That swap came after the Red Sox presented a contract offer to Betts that came short of the 12-year, $365 deal the Dodgers locked him to upon his arrival to Los Angeles.

“It was really hard, but also really easy,” Betts explained on the “Foul Territory” podcast. “Really hard cause I seen the paper that they sent over with the numbers on it, and looking at that and seeing, ‘OK, I’m good the rest of my life.’ That, actually saying no to that was really, really hard.”

Betts added: “Once I was able to lean to say no, it made it, like I said, it was still hard, but easy because you kind of — I’ve already said no to this a couple of times and I’m gonna kind of bet on myself a little bit.”

From a financial perspective, Betts took a risk that paid off, pocketing one of the largest contracts signed in Major League Baseball while staying on track as one of the best players in the game.

The move from the cold October nights in Boston to the sunshine in Los Angeles wasn’t one that Betts envisioned throughout his elite six-year run with the Red Sox. The seven-time All-Star set the record straight, debunking the outside narratives about whether or not he desired to play out the entirety of his career in Boston — the place Betts was drafted back in 2011.

“I know people don’t believe it, but I wanted to stay in Boston my whole career,” Betts said. “Like, that’s where I grew up, that’s my life, I know everybody there, it was a short flight to Nashville. Everything — it was perfect.”

When the Red Sox host the Dodgers on Aug. 25, kicking off a three-game series, Betts will make his long-awaited Fenway Park return, four years removed from his last game played in Boston.