I’ll admit it. Over the last few months, I’ve consciously tried to avoid talking about or listening to talk about Mookie Betts’s contract status.
The reigning American League Most Valuable Player with one of the most likable combinations of ability and charisma the Red Sox have ever had (at least since Dominican flags flew at Fenway during Pedro Martinez’s heyday) doesn’t hit free agency until two more seasons pass.
The Red Sox have to make decisions on several integral players — including Xander Bogaerts, Chris Sale, and Rick Porcello — before Betts’s deal is up. There’s always been some hope and of course genuine desire to lock in Betts as a Red Sox lifer before his deal expires.