Hot Stove Lunch: Mookie Betts readies for payday

Later this week, Mookie Betts will take a step toward being one of the highest-paid players in the game.

No, free agency hasn't been moved up. But by the end of this week, Betts will have a pretty good idea where he stands for his final year of salary arbitration. On Friday afternoon, Betts and the Red Sox will either exchange their filing figures or come to an agreement on a salary for 2020.

MLBTradeRumors.com has pegged Betts for $27.7 million; some believe that number to be low.

The two sides can either reach a compromise before the deadline

or exchange figures and ready for an arbitration hearing in February.

Over the last few years, the Red Sox had adopted a policy shared by most other clubs: if there's no agreement in place before figures are filed, negotiations are put on hold and the team commits to going to a hearing.

A year ago, the two sides arrived at an agreement to pay Betts $20 million before the deadline and there's some thought that if they can do that again, that it could lead to more discussions about a long-term agreement.

I don't believe that. I think it's pretty evident that Betts is determined to see what's available to him on the open market, and unless the Sox are willing to give him the biggest contract in history (think: north of Mike Trout's $430 million), then Betts will maintain the same negotiating stance.

It will, however, be interesting to see whether the Sox are willing to again settle before the deadline in the interest of maintaining a good relationship with Betts going forward. Perhaps getting a deal done will be seen as the team's last bit of goodwill heading into free agency.

Arbitration hearings can be problematic, with the player forced to listen as his team argues he's not worth what he believes he's worth.

Either way, Betts is going to be well-paid for 2020. And eventually, what he lands in free agency will make that figure seem modest.

Elsewhere:

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The Twins are feeling pessimistic about signing Josh Donaldson.

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