Mookie Betts wins a Gold Glove for the fourth time in his career
Mookie Betts went gold again.
The Red Sox superstar took home the fourth Gold Glove award of his career, beating out the Los Angeles Angels’ Kole Calhoun and Houston Astros’ Josh Reddick as the American League right-field honoree.
Betts led American League outfielders with 15 defensive runs saved.
His 12.6 Ultimate Zone Rating was second in the AL. Betts came up as a second baseman but has turned into the best right fielder in the majors based on his body of work and accolades. Since 2015, he’s led all right fielders with 99 defensive runs saved. Commanding that position at Fenway isn’t easy either as Betts is tasked with the responsibility of covering the vast ground behind him. Betts is entering his final season of arbitration eligibility and is projected to pull in more than $25 million in 2020.
As ownership looks to cut payroll, team president Sam Kennedy said it would be tough to keep both J.D. Martinez and Betts, but the team understands each of their values.
Martinez has until midnight Monday to decide if he’ll opt into his $23.75 million deal for the 2020 season. Martinez, 32, has another opt-out at the end of next season. His contract calls for him to receive $19.375 million in both 2021 and 2022. New chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said he looks forward to having discussions with both Betts and Martinez
“Obviously I come in with some information, having competed against this team for a long time,’’ Bloom said. “There’s a lot I don’t know. I’m eager to get together with our group. I would say generally that our top priority is going to be sustainability and competitiveness over the long-term.’’
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