Despite Mike Trout's deal, Mookie Betts in no hurry for extension with Red Sox

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- With Mike Trout’s whopper of a contract extension on Tuesday, the spotlight turned to Mookie Betts. Trout’s deal would certainly impact Betts’ future. Right?

“That’s a great thing,” Betts said of Trout’s deal, Wednesday morning inside the Red Sox spring training clubhouse. “He’s definitely one of the best players to ever play. He deserves it, so just a good-for-him type of thing.

“(But) we’re different players. Different players, we do different things. Just kind of have to keep that view on it.”

Betts feels no pressure to get a similar deal done with the Red Sox.

And why should he?

Betts still has two seasons to go before he can become a free agent after the 2020 season. In that time -- barring injury -- his value is only likely to improve.

The reigning AL MVP, Betts will be 27 in October, 14 months younger than Trout. Given the numbers Betts posted and the performance he’s given since making his major league debut in 2014, there’s no reason to think there isn’t more in the tank of the five-tool gem.

“Yeah, I’m under no pressure to do anything,” Betts said. “It’s OK for two sides to disagree, that’s perfectly fine. It’s normal. I got two more years, going to make the best of them. Got to worry about year one right here. I’m going out and doing my best to help the team win, and also next year. It’s just one of those things where it’s all right to disagree.”

Perhaps the pressure will be more on the Red Sox brass. While the Red Sox are on the record wanting to keep Betts in Boston for the long run, they have yet to make that happen. The Red Sox have broached an extension to Betts’ agents several times, but have not brought one to fruition.

Manny b recently signed for 10 years and $300 million from the Padres, Bryce Harper got 13 years and $330 million from the Phillies, and Nolan Arenado agreed to eight years and $260 million with the Rockies.

“Yes and no,” Betts said, when asked if those deals give him a better sense of his own value. “Like I said, we’re all different players but we have accomplished some of the same things, so definitely our values are close to the same. But it’s not all the same, the different variables.”

Betts and Trout are the most valuable players in baseball. Depending upon whom you ask and the day of the week, they are widely considered 1A and 1B. In two years, Trout’s 12-year, $430 million seems like it will be a starting point for Betts, who avoided arbitration in January with a one-year, $20 million deal.

Betts is open to continuing the conversation with the Red Sox, but doesn’t expect an extension to get done before the season starts.

“That’s exactly what I expect,” he said. “Didn’t expect anything to happen until I’m a free agent. So, it’s just one of those things where you just got to go out and play. Can’t worry about the economics of the game right now. They have to take care of what they have to take care of; I’m going to take care of what I have to take care of. But the common thing is to win a World Series, and I think that’s definitely what we both want to do.”

He’s willing to carry the conversation into the season, without a deadline to cut off talks.

“Why not? Definitely keep your ears open and see what's said,” he said. “But that doesn't mean you sort of have to agree on or take whatever is given. So, like I said, I love it here and I think this is a great place to be, spend your career here, but that doesn't mean sell yourself short.”

He’s not taking the lack of an extension as an insult, he says.

“I was made an offer last year and like I said that was just a disagreement, which is perfectly fine,” he said.

“There’s been a couple of disagreements, and then we agreed this year, just with the talks and those type of things. It’s negotiating, that’s just part of it.

“It's ok, just talks and all those type of things. Nothing bad. I love the front office. They’ve done a great job with everything and putting a great team together.”

Will how the team is constructed in two years impact his decision? Several of his teammates -- Chris Sale, Xander Bogaerts, Rick Porcello among them -- can also become free agents between now and then.

“Oh, I’m not sure. That’s above my head,” Betts said. “I just know that I want to be treated fairly. Everybody does. i don’t think that’s something that’s tough to ask. There’s a lot of guys coming up (for free agency) and they have to do whatever they need to do to construct a good team. If I’m a part of it, that much better; if I’m not, I completely understand. It’s just the business of the game.

“The biggest thing in my mind is just to be treated fairly.”

What, exactly, that means, only time will tell.