With the rest of the league making moves (including their arch rival New York Yankees bringing back Aaron Judge), the Boston Red Sox are feeling pressure to complete a crucial signing: shortstop Xander Bogaerts.
Bogaerts is a homegrown Red Sox star who has played his whole career in Boston.
They signed him to a six-year, $120 million deal before the 2019 season with an opt-out clause after the fourth campaign, 2022.
He exercised it and is now ready to leverage a strong season into a longer, heavier deal.
The Red Sox need to bring back Bogaerts if they want to call themselves a contender in 2023 and beyond.
A Red Sox insider, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, discussed the situation in a recent tweet.
“One source says ‘hard to tell’ if Red Sox are more optimistic than they have been on Bogaerts at this point. But @JonHeyman report is a sign of progress. There’s been a belief around the game that the sides will ultimately get something done,” he said.
One source says "hard to tell" if Red Sox are more optimistic than they have been on Bogaerts at this point. But @JonHeyman report is a sign of progress. There's been a belief around the game that the sides will ultimately get something done.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) December 7, 2022
Heyman Believes There Is Momentum Towards A Deal
This is what Heyman tweeted on Wednesday afternoon:
Red Sox are in heavy discussions with star shortstop Xander Bogaerts
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 7, 2022
Heyman also retweeted something that Red Sox insider Pete Abraham tweeted.
Momentum between the Red Sox and Xander Bogaerts according to a source.
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) December 7, 2022
There does appear to be momentum building towards a deal, although potential terms are not yet known.
Bogaerts had his best season yet with 6.1 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) in 2022.
He slashed .307/.377/.456 with 38 doubles and 15 home runs, not to mention a solid 134 wRC+ (100 is considered league-average performance).
He was solid with the glove and has World Series pedigree, having won the 2018 ring.
There is a lot to like about Bogaerts, but he will cost the Red Sox a lot of money.
Still, they can’t afford to lose him: they could lose the fanbase with him, too.
NEXT: Red Sox Analyst Believes The Team Finally Has A True Closer