Now that Trea Turner is off the board, teams shopping for shortstops will have to focus on the three who have still yet to sign.
Xander Bogaerts, Carlos Correa, and Dansby Swanson are left.
Bogaerts opted out of the remaining three years of his contract with the Boston Red Sox and joined Turner, Correa, and Swanson on the free agent market.
The Chicago Cubs are a team to watch as the shortstop market begins to heat up at the Winter Meetings.
One thing of note is that Bogaerts actually grew up a fan of the Cubs.
On Twitter, a Cubs fan posted a screenshot of a snippet from a story in which Bogaerts expressed his love for the Cubs as a child, naming stars such as Mark Prior, Derek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Geovany Soto, Kerry Wood, and Sammy Sosa.
Reminder that Xander Bogaerts grew up a Cubs fan. pic.twitter.com/D5n6DZFKOV
— Austin (@acreardon56) December 5, 2022
The Bogaerts, Cubs Connection
While nothing is imminent, this could bode well for the Cubs.
They are a team that has been linked to the shortstop market in recent weeks.
In all likelihood, Willson Contreras will be signing elsewhere.
So naturally, the North Siders will have to replace his production with another bat, and the two-time World Series champion could fit the bill.
The 30-year-old hit for a .307 average, popping 15 home runs and driving in 73 in what could prove to be his final season wearing a Red Sox uniform.
The veteran also had a total of 53 extra-base hits during the 2022 season.
The Cubs finished with a record of 74-88 and fell short of the postseason for the third time in the last four seasons, but signing Bogaerts could help them pave the way for the next great team on the North Side of Chicago.
NEXT: Cubs Analyst Has Big Wish For Free Agency