First the hardware then the pay raise.
Reigning American League MVP Mookie Betts and the Boston Red Sox came to terms Friday on a one-year deal worth $20 million, WEEI's Rob Bradford reported.
It is a record number for a player at this stage of arbitration: Betts still has one more year of arbitration eligibility to go in 2020, after which he becomes a free agent. (Josh Donaldson holds the overall record, making $23 million in his final season of arbitration eligibility).
Betts and the Red Sox avoided arbitration. Betts had won his arbitration case a year ago, securing $10.5 million.
Reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom and the New York Mets avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $17 million contract for 2019, WFAN baseball insider Jon Heyman reported.
DeGrom's $9.6 million pay bump from last year's $7.4 million salary set a record for arbitration, eclipsing Betts' $9.5 million raise from hours earlier.
DeGrom will receive a record salary for a third-time arbitration-eligible pitcher. Like Betts, DeGrom has one more year of arbitration eligibility remaining in 2020 before he is scheduled to become a free agent.
DeGrom has been looking for a long-term contract from the Mets. His former agent Brodie Van Wagenen is now the team's general manager.