MLB: Dodgers Dash Any Hope Of Mookie Betts Returning To Bean Town

The Los Angeles Dodgers landed a gem in Mookie Betts this offseason and are making sure he doesn't get away. The 27-year-old right fielder received a massive 12-year contract, meaning he is more likely to play out the rest of his baseball career as a Dodger.

The Dodgers handed Betts a 12-year $365 million contract extension deal that stretches until 2032, WEEI reported. He becomes the only player to be offered that much money since the Los Angeles Angels offered Mike Trout a 12-year $426.5 million deal before last season, the New York Times reported.

“The market wasn’t what I was worried about — just fair value,” Betts said. “That’s been my No. 1 thing for my whole career: the value, and that’s it. Once we got to that point, being somewhere I loved being, the match was perfect.”

Betts has been making big strides and was the American League's MVP in 2018. He is also a World Series winner when he was still playing for the Boston Red Sox. Aside from that, he does have the numbers to show the past seasons. In the last five seasons, he owns 134 homers and 119 stolen bases. Betts also owns a high .301 career batting average, showing some of those during exhibition games, TMZ reported.

The deal dashes anyy hope that Red Sox fans had of seeing the 27-year-old return to Bean Town. The same holds as well for other MLB teams who may be interested in getting Betts in the coming years.

With Betts secure, the Dodgers could get a big boost in their World Series dream. Los Angeles has not won the World Series since 1988. The closest they came was in 2018, losing to Boston in five games. Before that, they also had a chance in 2017. They lost to the Houston Astros who were hit with an illegal sign-stealing scheme.

Betts is seen as the player who can finally help the Dodgers win some rings. Some question if the long-term investment is a realistic goal. That quest starts on July 23 when the Dodgers host the San Francisco Giants with no fans in the stands.