Twenty-one months ago, Mookie Betts shot through the outfield at Dodger Stadium, grin as wide as Chavez Ravine. He had just won the World Series. He launched himself into the arms of his Red Sox teammates. Across the field, the Dodgers trudged into their clubhouse to mourn a second straight title loss.
On Wednesday, Los Angeles signed Mookie Betts to a 12-year, $365 million deal, making him the highest-paid player on a World Series contender. In February the Red Sox traded Betts, who is at worst the second-best player in the game, to the Dodgers.