Red Sox Considering Extension For MookieBetts - 美國職棒

http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/rob-bradford/2015/03/19/
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現在對上最值得續約的確實是Mookie Betts


FORT MYERS, Fla. -- First off, Mookie Betts and the Red Sox haven't yet
talked about a contract extension.

"No," said the Sox outfielder when asked if there had been any discussions.
"I haven't done anything for that."

But just because they haven't gone down that road doesn't mean they haven't
thought about it. And they should.

It might seem bizarre to be discussing such things considering the
22-year-old has played in just 52 major league games and was toiling on the
back fields at Fenway South with the minor leaguers as a second baseman a
year ago. ("I've never been in that situation, so it is weird to talk about,
" Betts admitted.)

This, however, should -- and will -- be a legitimate conversation.

According to a major league source, the Red Sox have at least internally
discussed the possibility of exploring an extension with Betts some time in
the semi-near future. Such a path hadn't been broached thus far in part --
despite the promise shown during his big league stint last year -- because
the outfielder was coming into camp competing for a major league job.

Now Betts has not only seemingly cemented a spot atop the Red Sox batting
order for Opening Day, but secured his status in the minds of the organization.
An argument could be made that there hasn't been a young player this Red Sox
regime feels more sure about than the kid from Tennessee.

That's one of the reasons the idea of an extension is vey real.

The Red Sox have had other youngsters head into a season with similar
responsibilities as Betts. Will Middlebrooks played in 75 games before
entering his second year as the team's starting third baseman with the idea
he would be eventually entrenched in the middle of the club's batting order.
The organization was willing to wait, and now he is in San Diego.

Xander Bogaerts (who is one week older than Betts) might have come closest to
entering into the status of the center fielder a year ago, but with an agent
(Scott Boras) who traditionally didn't engage in such talks for such young
players, the team realized extension discussions would likely be a
non-starter even if they desired such a strategy.

It might appear absurdly early in Betts' tenure to think that the Red Sox
would be reaching out to his agent, Stephen Veltman. Yet this is how teams
are staying ahead of the curve these days, and the Sox' decision-makers know
it.

The latest example is the seven-year, $49.570 million extension (which has an
eighth-year team option) just agreed upon by Miami outfielder Christian Yelich.
A year ago, the now-23-year-old was basically where Betts finds himself now,
having entered into 2014 a starter with 62 big league games under his belt.
He had a solid season -- hitting .284 with a .764 OPS and nine home runs in
144 games -- and now has the first two years he would be eligible for free
agency under team control.

Pirates outfielder Starling Marte took a similar route, agreeing to a
six-year, $31 million deal with two team options this time last year. Marte
had also just finished his first full major league season, playing in 135 games
after kicking off his clock with 47 appearances in '12.

Using those players' clocks as jumping off points, the full-court press for
Betts wouldn't seemingly come until after the coming season. But if the
organization carries a next-level kind of confidence in the player -- like
the Red Sox currently seem to with Betts -- the discussion certainly can be
broached sooner rather than later.

Tampa Bay has attempted to manage its payroll with proactive extensions,
agreeing to a six-year, $17.5 million deal (that included two club options)
with third baseman Evan Longoria not even a week into his major league career.
The Rays then inked pitcher Matt Moore to a five-year, $14 million
extension (also with a pair of club options) after the lefty had pitched in
just three major league games.

Houston also jumped in early with Jon Singleton last June, giving the first
baseman a five-year, $10 million extension with three team options just more
than two months into his stint as a major leaguer.

The Red Sox also have a history of attempting to buy out free agent years,
locking up the likes of Jon Lester, Dustin Pedroia and Clay Buchholz to
extensions that would have delayed any opportunity to hit the open market.
There were also the cases of Josh Beckett and Kevin Youkilis, where each
would have hit free agency coming off strong seasons but had agreed to deals
with the Red Sox that prolonged their stay.

The first key in these scenarios, of course, is that the franchise has to
have extreme confidence in the player's ability to keep excelling. Like Betts,
Jackie Bradley tore up spring training two years ago, but the team knew there
was still some convincing to do. (And the fact he had Boras as an agent also
suggested the extension conversation probably wasn't even worth putting on
the radar.)

The Red Sox are sold, hook, line and sinker, on Betts' present and future.

Much of it has to do with what he's delivered to date during this exhibition
season. He has taken his acumen in center field to a new level, while entering
Thursday hitting .448 with 1.207 OPS out of the leadoff spot. Yet there is also
the outfielder's approach to his job that has helped convince his team the good
times are just going to keep on rolling. Constantly Red Sox manager John Farrell,
his coaches and members of the Red Sox front office are citing Betts' quest
to learn, and do, more.

It might seem like an awkward conversation now for Betts, but he might want
to start getting used to it.

"That's a tough question. I don't really know," the rookie said in regards to
his approach to agreeing to an extension. "I think I would weigh my options
and see what's best for me with what's best for the team. It's kind of a
mutual thing. It has to be fair and something that would give me some
stability and not have to worry about it. It just depends on how things play
out.

"I still have to go out there and play and get to that point. I'm not there
yet so I haven't had a whole lot of time to think about it."

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