Red Sox: Framework of an extension for shortstop Xander Bogaerts
Consistency would not be his forte.
Two more seasons passed and Bogaerts has hardly been less enigmatic. He would hit like Troy Tulowitzki for awhile and then his bat would disappear for months. But despite never reaching Tulo-like heights over a full season, it would be foolish to say Xander has been a bust.
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Our early expectations and frustrations with Xander caused many of us to overlook how valuable he has been. Xander’s 12.7 fWAR between 2015 and 2017 ranks fourth among all shortstops in baseball during that stretch. Compared to other shortstops he has been well above average at the plate and solidly middle of the pack in the field, ranking 6th in wRC+ and 12th in UZR/150 over the same stretch. And this year he has gotten better.
To date, Bogaerts has posted a career-best slash line of .278/.336/.511 with a .361 wOBA. His .233 ISO is miles ahead of his previous work and his 12 homers in just 57 games already eclipses his total from last season. And he’s only 25-years-old. After the 2019 season, Xander is set to hit free agency. He has been a key contributor for the Red Sox and there is no doubt that the Red Sox would love to keep him around. The question is “what would it take?”