What had been a banner day for the Boston Red Sox in terms of offseason acquisitions quickly turned sour on Wednesday night.
The Red Sox made some key moves, signing veteran closer Kenley Jansen to a two-year, $32 million contract.
The team also inked Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida to a five-year, $90 million deal, adding the corner outfield bat they desperately needed.
But on Wednesday night, the team and its fans got some bad news when it was announced that star shortstop Xander Bogaerts had signed an 11-year, $280 million deal with the San Diego Padres.
On Twitter, a Red Sox analyst noted a grim reality for the team, that twice in the past three seasons, they have lost the face of their franchise, dating back to the Mookie Betts trade in 2020.
Red Sox essentially let the face of the franchise walk out the door twice in the span of three seasons.
Mookie Betts in 2020 and now Xander Bogaerts in 2022. Both of those guys won a World Series for the franchise.
Unforgivable. pic.twitter.com/h1BwbXvyfr
— Jordan Moore (@iJordanMoore) December 8, 2022
Sox Miss Out On Bogaerts
Ultimately, it was a successful day for the Red Sox, but their main goal was to retain Bogaerts.
It didn’t work out.
Bogaerts now joins a stacked lineup in San Diego that features Fernando Tatis Jr. Manny Machado, and Juan Soto.
Meanwhile in Boston, fans are frustrated with President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom for letting the star shortstop walk.
Boston finished the 2022 season with a 78-84 record, coming in last place in the AL East.
With Bogaerts, one of the last remaining holdovers from their 2018 World Series team gone, fans aren’t exactly feeling any better about the team’s chances in 2023.
Boston will now likely pivot to other free agents out on the market.
They could potentially dive into the shortstop market again, with Carlos Correa and Dansby Swanson both still unsigned.
NEXT: MLB Insider Gives Update On Xander Bogaerts Sweepstakes