Mookie Betts Finally Gets Paid

It took 18 months and a team change, but Mookie Betts finally got the monster contract everyone knew he would get. Wednesday morning brought reports that Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers were working on a mega-extension that would pay him lots of money, and the deal was reportedly close to done by the afternoon.

This is the deal that the Boston Red Sox did not want to give Betts, leading to his move out West. As one of the two or three best all-around players in baseball, it's well-deserved. It also puts an end to many desperate Red Sox fan's hope that the superstar might come back to New England after hitting free agency next offseason.

This year will be weird, so the Dodgers are probably relieved they got the deal done now rather than waiting for whatever bizarre offseason awaits MLB after a 60-game season and playoffs. Twelve years and around $400 million is about the going rate for the elite of the elite in the game today, so while they didn't get a bargain, Betts didn't exactly take them to the cleaner's, either.

Now, Betts is financially secure for the first time in his career. He earned it. The Dodgers will be enjoying the wonder of Mookie Betts for as long as they would like.