Change, in some form, wouldn’t be the worst thing. The Red Sox, we mustn’t forget, just finished in last place in the American League East. Finding common ground with Bogaerts feels like the more likely scenario, but perhaps Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom ultimately chooses to shuffle the deck, with Boston identifying some value or characteristic that supersedes the familiarity and stability of the incumbent. And each, like Bogaerts, surely will command a deal well in excess of $100 million - and maybe even $200 million-plus in the cases of Turner and Correa. So, what happens if the Red Sox don’t re-sign Bogaerts, for whatever reason? Well, the most aggressive play would be to target one of the other three big-name shortstops available in free agency this offseason: Trea Turner, Carlos Correa or Dansby Swanson.Įach has his strengths (and weaknesses). Replace Bogaerts with high-profile shortstop Plus, Rafael Devers’ impending free agency next offseason looms large as far as mapping out the Red Sox’s future finances.Ģ. He’s one of MLB’s best all-around shortstops, to be clear, but there are questions about how his skill set will age and whether he’ll move off the position down the road. After all, Bogaerts just turned 30 and is coming off another season of suppressed power. Boston presumably will face external competition, though, and the club’s other roster shortcomings only complicate matters.ĭo the Red Sox want to commit well north of nine figures for Bogaerts, a four-time All-Star who’s blossomed into an elite player, a clubhouse leader and a franchise pillar? While it’d be easy to answer in the affirmative, given his continued importance to Boston’s lineup, subtracting emotion from the equation makes for a more compelling debate. Both sides have expressed interest in continuing their fruitful relationship, which began when Bogaerts signed as a 16-year-old international free agent out of Aruba in 2009. Now, it’s on the Red Sox to up the ante if they’d like to retain his services. But he’s simply worth more on the open market, hence his decision to opt out and test free agency. Yet, with the Major League Baseball Players Association announcing Monday that Bogaerts, among others, has chosen to become a free agent, it’s officially time to start contemplating the Red Sox’s options at shortstop for 2023 and beyond.ĭon’t read too much into Bogaerts leaving three years and $60 million on the table. Nor does it mean the shortstop’s tenure in Boston is over. Xander Bogaerts’ decision to opt out of his contract didn’t sneak up on the Red Sox.
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