If the New York Yankees resign Betances, both sides will have to know his worth

New York Yankees, New York Mets, Dellin Betances
Jun 24, 2019; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yasnkees pitcher Dellin Betances (68) looks on against the Toronto Blue Jays during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

New York Yankees right-hander Dellin Betances didn’t see much time on the mound last season, only throwing to two batters before being announced that he would miss the rest of the season with an Achilles injury. Now a free agent, he can find himself back in pinstripes but he’ll have to find a contract with the club that both sides can agree on.

This might be hard.

Betances has been one of the best relievers from 2014-2016,  but injuries have set him back. This is what ESPN’s Craig Edwards had to say on Betances:

From 2014 to 2016, Betances might have been the best reliever in baseball. Across those years, his 247 innings, 392 strikeouts and 8.3 fWAR topped all relievers. In 2017 and 2018, the righty was more good than great with fewer innings and more walks, but his f2.9 WAR still put him in the top 15 for relief pitchers. This year was tough for Betances, as a shoulder impingement kept him out until September, and when he finally got into a game, he struck out both batters he faced and then suffered a partially torn Achilles tendon as he was leaving the mound. He opted for rehab over surgery, but the injury will make it tough for any team to commit to him long term. If he had been a free agent a few years ago, he might have gotten $50 million or more, but now he might have to settle for around $5 million (if that) and might also be saddled with a team-friendly option for 2021 in exchange for a higher guarantee.

Even though the Yankees and Betances know that he can be one of the best relievers in the game, it’ll be hard to sign a guy who’s just coming off a hefty injury. Especially after last season with all the injuries and what the Yankees went through with Jacoby Ellsbury, they’ll definitely be avoiding any possible situations where they’re spending too much money on a guy whos sitting on the injured list.

With that being said, another team could see this as an opportunity to steal Betances off the free-agent market with a sizable contract offer. When it comes down to it, when healthy, Betances is one of the premier relievers in the Major Leagues and there are definitely other teams besides the New York Yankees who are interested in him. It will most likely come down to what he’s offered.