Shortstop Xander Bogaerts will receive $12 million next season in his third and final year of arbitration, up from $7.05 million last year. He was projected for $11.9 million.
Bogaerts is part of an emerging group of young shortstop taking the baseball world by storm. While he can go overlooked because of the other fantastic young shortstops in the league, Bogaerts is undoubtedly worthy of being in that conversation.
The 26-year old hit .288 and set career highs with a .360 OBP, .883 OPS, 23 home runs, 45 doubles, and 103 RBI. He even earned a few MVP votes, finishing 13th on the AL ballot.
Bogaerts is a bit of an enigma in the field. The eye test would leave you to believe he’s improving as a shortstop and his .980 fielding percentage was better than his career rate yet advanced metrics continue to be unkind to him. Bogaerts was ranked dead last among major league shortstops with -19 defensive runs saved.
With free agency looming next winter, Bogaerts has been the subject of trade rumors. It’s possible that he becomes easier to trade now that teams have a clear picture of how much he’ll be paid next season. However, it seems more likely the Red Sox will hang on to him as they defend their title. Bogaerts could be in for a big payday next year if he produces but Boston will worry about that when the time comes.