Betances, who earned the league minimum in 2016 and has a 1.93 ERA with a 14.3 K/9 rate over the past three seasons, asked for $5 million. That part is fine, but it’s the comments that stirred trouble between the two sides. Instead of being happy that the team won the case, Levine decided to step things up a bit.
He said that Betances does not have the stats to warrant that kind of money. He also said that $5 million is the kind of money that you give to an elite closer. This was less than 10 weeks after giving elite closer Aroldis Chapman $17 million a year.