Fans of the Boston Red Sox woke up to some bad news on Thursday morning.
All-Star shortstop and two-time World Series champion Xander Bogaerts is headed to the San Diego Padres.
The 30-year-old slugger signed an 11-year, $280 million deal to join Fernando Tatis Jr. Manny Machado, and Juan Soto.
The Red Sox attempted to extend Bogaerts in spring training, offering him a $90 million extension to his deal.
The veteran ultimately turned it down
Yesterday, prior to Bogaerts signing with the Padres, the Red Sox signed Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida to a five-year deal, spending roughly $105 million on him.
On Twitter, ESPN’s Buster Olney expressed confusion over the situation, wondering why the Red Sox offered more to Yoshida than to Bogaerts, who had previously been an All-Star.
There’s so much about the way the Red Sox handled Xander Bogaerts’s situation that doesn’t make sense. For example: they spent more money to sign Yoshida (($105m), a corner OF about the same age as Bogaerts, than they offered Bogaerts, an All-Star SS, in the spring. ($90m).
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 8, 2022
Olney Expresses Confusion Over Sox Strategy
The Red Sox ultimately had a productive day in free agency on Wednesday.
Still, they failed in their ultimate mission, which was to keep Bogaerts around.
The Red Sox were fortunate to sign Yoshida and veteran closer Kenley Jansen earlier in the day.
But spending more on Yoshida than what they were reportedly willing to spend on Bogaerts is a tad confusing.
Yoshida is also around the same age as Bogaerts, which makes the matter even more puzzling.
With Bogaerts gone, the Red Sox may potentially dive back into the shortstop market, where Dansby Swanson and Carlos Correa both remain unsigned.
Though the Winter Meetings are over, we will likely see the remaining shortstops sign soon as teams look to continue to improve for the 2023 season.
NEXT: Red Sox Insider Comments On The Rafael Devers Situation