Betts agrees to $365M deal with Dodgers

LOS ANGELES — Even before Mookie Betts played his first game in Dodger Blue, the superstar outfielder decided his future is in

Los Angeles.

Betts and the Dodgers have struck baseball’s first big-money deal since the coronavirus pandemic decimated the sport’s economics, with Betts agreeing Wednesday to a $365 million, 12-year contract through 2032.

The massive agreement removes the top offensive player from next offseason’s free-agent class and puts the longtime Boston Red Sox slugger in the middle of LA’s lineup for what he thinks will be the rest of his career. The Dodgers only acquired Betts in a trade Feb. 10, but he eagerly bypassed the uncertainties of free agency for a secure future with an organization that already feels like home.

“I just love being here,” Betts said in a video conference call from Dodger Stadium, where he will make his Dodgers debut tonight against San Francisco.

“I love everything about here. I’m here to win some rings and bring championships back to LA. That’s all I’m focused on.”

Betts’ new deal is baseball’s second-largest in total dollars behind the $426.5 million, 12-year contract for Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout covering 2019-30. Trout and Betts are arguably the top two outfielders in the game, and now they’ve both got deals that should keep them playing 32 miles apart for at least the next decade.

Betts, who turns 28 in October, was acquired along with pitcher David Price for three promising Dodgers prospects in a blockbuster trade that signaled Los Angeles’ determination to win the World Series after winning seven consecutive NL West titles and claiming the NL pennants in 2017 and 2018.

Betts will be at the heart of the Dodgers’ lineup as they pursue their first championship in 32 years as a World Series favorite.

Betts