The whirlwind of rumors leading up to the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings have proven that shortstop Xander Bogaerts currently has the widest market among all shortstops in the free-agent class.
With every rumor, it makes the idea of Bogey ending his career in Boston less and less likely. However, there is one report that would swing the odds back in the Red Sox’s favour.
“Xander Bogaerts will not leave Red Sox without presenting (Boston with) the latest offer from another team that suits what (he is) looking for,” Red Sox beat writer Marino Pepén tweeted Friday, as translated by Google Translate.
If this report is true, and Bogaerts has agreed to give Boston the final say, the wait-and-see approach might not be as dreadful as it appears. Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom can let Bogaerts test the waters of free agency for the first time in his career, and wait for another team to set Bogaerts’ price. It’s a gamble, but at this point it’s a solid course of action.
Either way, knowing Bogaerts’ willingness to let Boston match the top offer dispels any idea of him severing ties with the Red Sox, and makes it much more likely for a reunion.
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Bogaerts was originally expected to sign for somewhere in the ballpark six-years ago, $168 million via FanGraphs. After larger league-wide interest than most expected, the Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported that Bogaerts could receive a contract that could reach or possibly even exceed $200 million.
While Bogaerts is a great player, that number still feels inflated given his age and question marks surrounding his long-term future defensively.
The hot stove is at it’s peak and this is the time when unexpected teams test the waters on free agents they do not actually expect to land but are doing due diligence anyway. When it’s all said and done, the former and more tame contract feels more likely than the latter.
Red Sox Nation should hope so, as Bloom does not appear poised to break the bank for Bogaerts, but certainly would welcome him with open arms for the right price.
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