BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 5: Xander Bogaerts #2 of the Boston Red Sox fields a ground ball during the sixth inning of a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on October 5, 2022 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
Xander Bogaerts is one of the Boston Red Sox‘ biggest offseason questions, though he absolutely shouldn’t be.
Fans and players, both current and former, are clamoring for the homegrown star to wear no other uniform for the remainder of his career, but in classic Sox fashion, they’ve lowballed him to what could be a point of no return.
Bogaerts is one of the best shortstops in franchise history. 10 years into his career, he’s won four Silver Sluggers and two World Series, played more games at the position than any of his predecessors, and tied or broken several franchise records. Additionally, the value he brings to the club as a leader and mentor cannot be overstated.
What’s interesting is that re-working Bogaerts’ current deal makes sense not only because of what he brings to the table – which the Sox wouldn’t be able to truly replace – but also because of what doing so would afford them, in return. If Bogaerts stays, there are several players the Sox won’t necessarily need, so in addition to retaining the beloved Bogaerts, they’d also have some interesting trade pieces at their disposal.
Here are three infielders whom the Sox could trade if Bogaerts remains in Boston…
Jeter Downs
The key prospect in the infamous Mookie Betts trade, Jeter Downs finally made his big-league debut in July.
The 24-year-old who plays second, third, and short, collected six hits, including a double and home run, in the first 14 games of his big-league career, but also struck out 21 times and only drew one walk.
It’s too small of a sample size to judge, but his inconsistency in Triple-A amplifies the cause for concern. Between 2021-22, Downs hit an unimpressive .193/.292/.368 with 30 homers and 20 doubles over 180 games at the top level of the farm. He also struck out 230 times and only drew 76 walks, so it’s hard to see him magically figuring it out against even more difficult pitchers in the big leagues.
Still, considering his rookie status is still intact, Downs can be a valuable trade piece for the Sox. After all, he was promising enough to be part of the Betts trade. But it might be best for the Sox to trade him before his stock plummets like many of their other former top prospects…
BOSTON, MA – MAY 7: Bobby Dalbec #29 of the Boston Red Sox stands at first base as he tosses a baseball during the ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Fenway Park on May 7, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. The White Sox won 3-1 in ten innings. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images) /
Bobby Dalbec
Speaking of former top prospects, the Red Sox don’t really have room or need for Bobby Dalbec anymore, especially if Bogaerts stays.
They acquired Eric Hosmer at the trade deadline and he’ll cost them the league minimum for the remainder of his salary. They also have Triston Casas, who impressed offensively and defensively in his brief September debut.
Meanwhile, after a solid first full season in 2021, during which he hit 21 doubles and 25 homers over 133 games, Dalbec regressed an alarming amount in 2022. Despite his strikeout percentage decreasing ever-so-slightly, in 117 games, he only doubled nine times and homered 12; his slugging percentage dropped from .494 the previous year, to .369.
While Dalbec made significantly fewer errors at first base, Casas is considered a better all-around option for the job, so the Sox began teaching Dalbec to play second base this season. Only, they don’t really need him there either if they have Trevor Story and rovers, Christian Arroyo and Kiké Hernández.
While Dalbec had a disappointing season, he’s under club control through 2027. Many teams will be interested in a former top prospect with that many years of control ahead and who occasionally hits enormous home runs.
Sep 23, 2022; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop Yu Chang (12) throws the ball to first base for an out during the fifth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports /
Yu Chang
Yu Chang was a late-season waiver claim this year, only coming to Boston on September 12. Before that, he’d played 36 games for the Tampa Bay Rays, 18 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and four for the Cleveland Guardians, the team with whom he spent the first three seasons of his big-league career.
Over 196 career games, Chang is a .213/.279/.360 hitter who can play every infield spot except shortstop. So if the Sox have Bogaerts at short with Story at second as well as Arroyo and Hernández if need be, they really don’t need Chang, too.
Like Dalbec, Chang offers a lot of club control; he’s arbitration-eligible this season and won’t reach free agency until 2026. But since he doesn’t offer much offensively, while the Sox could include him in a larger package, it’s more likely that they’ll designate him for assignment.
