What had been a productive day turned sour on Wednesday night for the Boston Red Sox.
The team had signed All-Star closer Kenley Jansen to a two-year, $32 million contract and followed it up by signing Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida to a five-year, $90 million deal.
But the day ended with star shortstop Xander Bogaerts signing an 11-year, $280 million deal with the San Diego Padres.
Bogaerts now joins a lineup that features Fernando Tatis Jr. Juan Soto, and Manny Machado.
But according to several reports, the Red Sox were way off in the Bogaerts sweepstakes, with their offer not being anywhere near what the Padres, or even other teams offered him.
Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe provided a final update last night after the deal became official.
One final note before signing off:
The Red Sox did not finish, second, third or maybe even fourth.
Via various sources, there were 3-4 other teams willing to go to $200M+ on Bogaerts. He wowed teams in interviews.
Sox valued their own player differently than other teams did.
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) December 8, 2022
Red Sox Fall Short On Bogaerts
Ultimately, what it came down to was the fact the Red Sox undervalued Bogaerts, at least in terms of money.
Other teams had gone north of $200 million with their offers, and the star shortstop appeared to have impressed those teams.
The Padres were ultimately the team that came away with the star shortstop, adding yet another high-profile free agent to the list of players the Red Sox have been outbid on.
But unlike the cases of Jose Abreu, Zach Eflin, and Tommy Kahnle, the Red Sox fell flat in negotiations with Bogaerts.
Now, the team may have to dive back into the shortstop market and see if they can find a way to land either Dansby Swanson or Carlos Correa, both of whom remain unsigned.
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