The Red Sox have had a relatively quiet offseason compared to years past. But one man’s name keeps popping up, and that’s Xander Bogaerts.
This has been one hell of an offseason for Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts. Coming off of a great 2018 season and earning his second World Series ring, the star shortstop has been in the news almost daily. Whether it be free agency rumors for the 2020 window or trade talks, Bogey has been a popular guy.
During the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas Bogaerts’ name came up in conversations as possible trade pieces for Dave Dombrowski and the Red Sox. Dombrowski was looking to unload some of the salaries on the club for players about to enter free agency. Nothing ever came of the conversations though and Bogey is still with the club.
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It was then reported a short while ago that the Red Sox had entered negotiations with a mystery core player. Many thought that the player in question was Andrew Benintendi. It came out at the Winter Weekend event that the player was actually Xander. Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston was at the Winter Weekend event and broke the story of who the mystery man was.
So Bogaerts has not only been in trade talks but extension conversations as well. Quite a rollercoaster for the young shortstop.
Bogaerts has been with the main club since his debut in 2013, a season that saw him get substantial playing time and end the year with a World Series ring. He’s been the constant in the infield ever since and contributes on a nightly basis. HIs 2018 was another strong performance from the 26-year-old as he saw career highs in HR, RBI, OPS, OBP, and SLG.
"“I enjoy playing here,” Bogaerts said at Red Sox Winter Weekend. “Obviously it’s a winning city. It’s a winning team. I mean, we’ve been to the playoffs three times in a row. So I don’t see what not to like about here.”"
No longer are the Boston Red Sox the team of “next year,” and Xander has played a big part in that transformation. He is a key member of a young core group of guys that come out every day with that desire to win and play the game to the fullest. Getting an extension worked out this offseason would allow the Red Sox to secure a key member of their squad for the future.
"“I think if we can figure out something right there’s always room to talk. But I enjoy it here, man. It’s an awesome city. Winning is probably the main priority here.”"
Xander said it best, winning is the priority and he knows that he is an important part of the winning culture that has become frequent in Boston. He clearly has a desire to remain with the club and in the city and it’s all up to his agent, Scott Boras, and Dombrowski to find the right numbers for both sides.
Boras is notorious for having his players wait until free agency and then attacking the market like a shark with blood in the water. If the Red Sox can avoid that mess and lock up Bogaerts well before the free agency window even opens, it would be huge for the organization. With Xander having a desire to remain with his teammates in Boston, the ball will be in Dombrowski’s court to make the right deal for the star.
With the 2020 free agency class being a major one for the Red Sox, the team needs to start working on agreements to avoid a mass exodus. If they cannot reach terms with some of the biggest players on the team it could damage everything they’ve built the last few seasons. Xander Bogaerts is a huge part of the success for the Red Sox not only in the current but also for the future.