Winning the American League MVP award Thursday means Mookie Betts will become a higher profile player in the game, sure to attract additional endorsements and solidify his stature in Boston.
It will also, not incidentally, lead to increased speculation about his future with the Red Sox.
The Sox have a number of star players on the precipice of free agency over the next few seasons. Chris Sale, Rick Porcello and Xander Bogaerts are all eligible after next year, while J.D. Martinez can exercise an opt-out clause in his contract. The following year, Jackie Bradley Jr. can walk.
But none is as vital as Betts, who had two Top-6 finishes in AL MVP voting in the previous two seasons before nearly becoming a unanimous selection (28 of 30 first-place votes) last week.
If you listen closely, you can almost hear the clock ticking. And Red Sox management is aware of the anxiety that is ratcheting up with its fan base.
"We've been consistent that we want him a part of our organization forever,'' team president Sam Kennedy told BostonSportsJournal.com. "He represents everything you want in a player and he's a remarkable once-in-a-generation talent and we'll continue to have conversations with him and his representatives. We've made it clear to him, from the very top of the organization, all the way down that we'd love to have him finish his career with the Red Sox.''
That said, the Red Sox have already made two overtures to Betts, only to be rebuffed each time. In each of the last two springs, the Sox have approached the Betts camp with an offer to buy out his remaining salary arbitration seasons as well some free agency years.
His representatives have listened, but politely passed, preferring, for now, to take things on a year-by-year basis. And that approach will reward Betts handsomely. MLBTradeRumors.com estimates that Betts will earn $18.5 million in salary arbitration this winter. Next winter, should be not already be extended, Betts could well be in line for a payday of $25 million or more for the 2020 season.
That reduces any search of urgency on the part of Betts to commit to a long-term deal.
Additionally, there's an overwhelming feeling within the industry that Betts is waiting to see what happens with both Bryce Harper and Manny Machado this winter. Harper and Machado are each 26 and reportedly in search of record-setting deals, perhaps as long as 10 years.
Harper and Machado will help define the market and answer the question: What is a player worth in the prime of his career? From there, Betts will have some idea of the parameters of the market for him.
In a seeming acknowledgment of the necessary timeline -- Machado and Harper may not sign before the end of the calendar year -- and with their own offseason business to which they must attend, the Sox are in no hurry approach Betts now.
"He's enjoying his season and world championship year,'' said Kennedy of Betts. "He'll have lots of thinking to do. We'll have those conversations in time.''
Complicating matters is that Betts is giving little public indication as to his immediate or long-term goals. He deftly steered away from committing to spending the remainder of his career during a conference call with reporters hours after his MVP was awarded, saying only that he was focused on getting ready for the 2019 season.
Betts, in fact, is so low-key that it's difficult to get a read on his intentions. Those close to him said he enjoyed this past season immensely, connected with teammates and relishes the thought of winning multiple titles in Boston.
The Red Sox are uniquely positioned to be able to meet his asking price. But one thing they can't account for is if Betts wants to play elsewhere because of geography, climate or proximity to family. Any of those factors could prove an insurmountable for the Sox, no matter how earnest they are in their efforts or how generous their terms.
To date, there seems little evidence that Betts has any reason to not re-sign in Boston.
For now, however, all the Sox can do it wait and see exactly how high the bar is set by others -- and respond accordingly.
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