Red Sox Notebook: Mookie Betts reacts to Bryce Harper's record-setting contract

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The signings are done. The bar has been set. But now that Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and Nolan Arenado have all agreed to mega-deals, Mookie Betts isn't giving any indication that those deals could impact his.

"No, not really,'' said Betts, who's eligible for free agency after the 2020 season. "We're all different players. We all have different things that are important. Good for those guys. They deserve it. We'll just continue to worry about what's going on now.''

Of Harper's deal -- 13 years for $330 million, setting a record for the largest contract ever handed out, Betts added: "He deserves it -- that and more. He's a great player, so good for him.''

Red Sox ownership, which has signaled a desire to keep Betts with the team for the remainder of his career, had wanted to give Betts the opportunity to assess the landscape when Harper and Machado signed.

It's unclear whether the Sox will approach Betts in the next four weeks leading up to the regular season opener.

The Sox tried twice in the last two years to engage Betts and his representatives in talks about a contract extension, but the Betts camp had signaled a preference to go year-by-year through salary arbitration.

Last month, the two sides avoided a salary arbitration hearing by agreeing to a $20 million salary for 2019.

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It was, predictably, an emotional day for catcher Blake Swihart, who lost his younger brother unexpectedly Wednesday at 23.

Swihart elected to be in the lineup Thursday as the Red Sox' designated hitter and after grounding out to first in the second inning, came up again in the fourth and runners on the corners, slapped a single to left to score Xander Bogaerts. Swihart embraced first base coach Tom Goodwin, then left for a pinch-runner.

When he reached the dugout, he was greeted by Cora who gave him a hug, and a line of teammates, who shook his hand.

"It was cool,'' said Cora. "Everybody was pulling for him to do something special in that first at-bat. And then, for him to get a hit...It was good for him to play. He was relaxed. That was a good swing.''

Swihart left for his native New Mexico after the game to attend service and is expected back early next week.

"People deal with things in different ways,'' said Betts of Swihart. "We're his family. He kind of leans on us. I'm just happy to see him out there, getting a hit and kind of keeping his mind away from that even though it's a tough situation. But thinking about it all day, every day is not good, so it was good for him to get away from it a little bit.''

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Reliever Jenry Mejia, who was signed to a minor league deal by the Red Sox last month, made his Grapefruit League debut. Mejia, who failed three tests for PED and was once banned permanently before being reinstated last fall by commissioner Rob Manfred, struck out the side in the top of the ninth, fanning three minor leaguers.

He hasn't pitched in the majors since 2015.

"He's still got that movement,'' marveled Cora of Mejia's cut fastball, "and a good slider. For his first one, it was good. He able to come back in certain counts. At least he was able to compete. We'll see where it goes.''

"That meant a lot,'' said Mejia of the chance to get back on the mound against a major league opponent. "I want to thank the Red  Sox for giving me this opportunity. I feel really good about it and I'll go out there and try to do my job like I did before.

"I'm getting ready day-by-day. It's almost there, almost there.''

A scout had Mejia throwing his cutter at 92 mph with his slider at 81-82 mph.