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Dodgers: ESPN Talks Mookie Betts’ Loyalty to Los Angeles

The last thing that Dodgers fans want to hear is that this hiatus will cost us more than just games. The COVID-19 virus that shut down most of the world made it’s way into baseball, and has worried officials across the league. So much so that the possibility that there are no games played in the 2020 season has become much more real over the last few days.

If there is not a season played, Major League Baseball has already agreed to terms that would allow players in contract years to enter free agency for 2021. Unfortunately, that would include the recently acquired Mookie Betts. Some of the guys from ESPN’s Highly Questionable got together to discuss whether or not Mookie owed the Dodgers any loyalty. 



I’m not actually interested in what Mooke Betts’ allegiances need to be beyond to his pocketbook and making sure he’s happy and he gets his money however he gets his money. – Dan Le Batard

Let’s face it, it’s sort of a dumb question. A guy who has yet to play one game for a team and was forced to come here via trade absolutely does not owe any loyalty to Los Angeles. It’s not his fault that the world is falling apart and that baseball cannot be played right now. The Dodgers still have the opportunity to offer him a contract, the question now is if they will. 

They’re (Dodgers) still going to continue to paying that big money, they’re still going to find a way to get Mookie Betts to play for that franchise. – Israel Gutierrez

The fact that the Dodgers have the deepest pockets in all of baseball backing them doesn’t hurt their chances of resigning Mookie. It is, however, limited to an extent. The Dodgers will be losing Justin Turner and Joc Pederson to free agency following this season. They also have to consider that large paydays are on the horizon for Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager, and Walker Buehler. 

Meaning, if they are going to commit $300+ million to Mookie Betts, the Dodgers will likely be committing to letting at least one of those guys walk. It’s a tough call but making a trade for a guy that never plays for your team would be tough to swallow. 

NEXT: Justin Turner Teams with Wife for Glorious Opening Day Video

 

13 Comments

  1. Look in the dictionary for the work “Mercenary” and a picture of Dan Le Batard will be in the description. How about the Dodgers only have to pay Betts if he leaves with having not played a regular season game a prorated amount of his salary 2020. That would be fair. But Le Retard would probably think that was just not fair… Mr. Le Batard you have no crediibilty with the rank and file fan so maybe you should look for other work. ESPN sure isn’t getting its worth out of you.

  2. Great Player in Boston or any East Coast AL team= Good Player at best on West Coast NL….We should have kept Ver-dou-go…he will hit 320 in Boston….

    I am curious how his Spring Training numbers were in years Past…as he sure did not do much so far this spring…

    1. limited games and he also got the Dodger player food poisoning treatment that mysteriously happens throughout every year usually it’s on the whole team. Very suspicious

    2. You don’t worry about trading a nice player when you have a chnace to get a SUPERSTAR. Now if the Dodgers had made that trade knowing that COVAD-19 was goint to shut down baseball, then yeah, keep Verdugo and Downs and live with the knowledge that the 2020 season was a lost cause. BUT SINCE NO ONE COULD HAVE PREDICTED THAT THIS CORONAVIRUS WOULD SHUT DOWN EVERYTHING, then its pretty tough to blame them for trying to win a championship with a 5 tool player NOW while giving up a lot of potential for him. Its really easy to comp;lain about it now. But when they aquired him did you really say, “we’d be better off without him and Verdugo and Downs playing for us?” I think not and to say otherwise shows a lack of understanding of how this business is played.

      If you want to blame somebody for screwing the Dodgers over, blame Rob Manfred, our dufus of a commissioner. He should have told the players that there was no negotiating over the years of service deal for games not played under contract and he would cancel the season out right rather than have contracts entered to in GOOD FAITH be abrogated by a bunch of whining “kids” (and some owners) who want everything their way or the highway!

  3. This is why you don’t squander a ridiculously large window to win a championship. If they had won one or two having to choose between Betts Bellinger Seager and Buehler wouldn’t be as tough.

  4. Who’s to say what is it isn’t. Bottom line is the Dodgers took a risk in trading a player who was under control for years to come for a proven AL MVP. No guarantees. Banners hang forever. Don’t be a Monday morning quarterback when we all were salivating over the possibilities

  5. Just Brook once again finding negative articles to do his best to stir more hatred and reasons to diss on Betts. Why would Betts want to remain in L.A. with sensational sports writers always finding excuses for him to leave? J.T. is going to have to leave as he never stays healthy enough to get a hug payday. Pederson leaving? Thank God.. Not paying both of them would easily give the Dodgers enough room to pay Betts and keep him. This team hasn’t had a leadoff hitter with power, Avg, Speed, and defense since Bret Butler and is in his prime. He scores over a hundred runs a year, and would make Bellinger a even greater RBI machine. He presents at least 5 reasons to keep and pay him. Anyone that claims he isn’t worth it, or tries to lie to themselves about his worth needs to watch the last 7 years of playoff series. The lack of a 300 hitting lead off man that steals bases and plays gold glove defense has been the difference in scoring runs when desperately needed late. The Dodgers never have big game late wins when it counts the most. They can’t manufacture runs when needed. Friedman realizes that and that’s why he pushed so hard to get him. .So Brook how about some Love for Betts and write a story to show Mookie has achieved? Like M.V.P., World series champion, Gold gloves etc. ? I know you can do it..

  6. He hit in Fenway Park for 81 games per year, of course he looks good, now he might play in Dodgers Stadium for that amount of games…its a 20 to 25 points difference in hitting and that’s not to even mention the power numbers. I say he’ll want to go to a hitter friendly park to continue his high numbers as long as he can.

      1. Brook now your moderating my posts about Betts numbers? Don’t want Dodgers fans to see his numbers? You can post the numbers. It’s no secret…

    1. Thomas, how do you know? Betts could also have a remarkable M.V.P. season. Hit 20 homers, steal 40 bases, score 130 runs and hit 340. Contact hitters that annually hit close to 300 and score 100 runs don’t flop because they show up to Dodgers stadium. His spray chart is left center to right center. Last time I checked 90′ bases, 330 down the lines,385 in gaps and 395 dead center.

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