Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts is, together with Trea Turner, the top free agent option at this point.
He is coming off the best season of his career, at least from a WAR (Wins Above Replacement) perspective: he finished at 6.2.
The infielder hit a solid .307/.377/.456 with 15 home runs and 38 doubles this past season.
He actually signed a six-year, $120 million deal before the 2019 campaign, but it had an opt-out after 2022 and he exercised it.
The Red Sox tried to offer him an extension before the season but couldn’t get him to sign.
His future is now up in the air regarding his next destination, but it’s clear that he will become a very wealthy man.
Bogaerts Will Do Very Well In Free Agency
“The speculation among agents who don’t represent Xander Bogaerts is that he’s going to do very well, given that he’s coveted by a lot of teams — and they’re predicting a final deal total that’ll be many tens of millions of dollars more than the final Red Sox offer in the spring,” MLB insider Buster Olney tweeted.
The speculation among agents who don't represent Xander Bogaerts is that he's going to do very well, given that he's coveted by a lot of teams — and they're predicting a final deal total that'll be many tens of millions of dollars more than the final Red Sox offer in the spring.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) November 30, 2022
It’s actually a similar situation to that of New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.
The Yanks offered him a deal before the start of the campaign and he rejected it, opting to bet on himself to get a much bigger payday in free agency.
The sole fact that other teams are involved in negotiations actually drives up the price of these stars.
Bogaerts, 30, remains a top producer with several good years remaining, at least in theory.
The Red Sox hope they can re-sign him and plan their future around him.
If they can’t do it, they will have a hard time competing in 2023.
