Mookie Betts set a record with a one-year, $27M salary arbitration-eligible contract. That fact will be spread all over social media over the next few days. The question is whether that indicates he is staying in Boston now that they have reached an agreement. There is no solid yes or no answer, but I believe this is a step in the right direction.
The most important piece of information we can take from this is that the two sides did not have to go to an arbitration hearing. That matters because it means the Red Sox and Mookie Betts’ representatives have been talking. If the Red Sox planned on dealing the young superstar, they would not care what he was making. They also would not waste time negotiating for the upcoming season.
You could argue that they are just covering their bases, as no deal has been completed thus far. However, the Red Sox pitchers and catchers report a month from tomorrow. If the Red Sox were to make such a large splash, you would expect that to get done before spring training. It is not often that a blockbuster trade occurs once the team reports to Fort Myers.
At this point I would be increasingly confident with each passing day that Mookie Betts will remain in Boston. My previous points can be written off as speculation, but the fact remains that he is still on the team with only a month to go in the off-season. His arbitration settlement is not concrete proof by any means, but it helps to know that the two sides are on good terms.