Red Sox: 3 players we can’t afford to lose this season

1. Xander Bogaerts

When the Red Sox made the move to trade Mookie Betts, they fully embraced Xander Bogaerts as the face of the franchise. Not a bad pick, as the 28-year-old superstar shortstop has only gotten better over the past couple of years, developing into one of the premier players in all of baseball. However, during their struggles in 2020, there were rumors that Bogaerts was not considered “untouchable” and part of real trade rumors at times. That’s a big no-no.

And while, yes, his play on the field is what makes him such an important player to the team, what also does is the leadership role he has taken on behind the scenes. If you have ever heard his teammates talk about him, you know the kind of player he is on and off the diamond. With Alex Cora back in the saddle as the manager of the Red Sox, it seems like the perfect year for those two to help the Red Sox return to prominence. The problem is this:

Bogaerts signed a six-year contract extension prior to the 2019 season that pays him $120 million. Now that seems great, as Bogaerts took a significant pay cut to be a part of the Red Sox moving forward, even with Scott Boras as his agent. The problem is that following the 2022 season, Bogaerts has the opportunity to opt-out of that contract to either pursue more money or a new team entirely.

There’s always going to be that idea in the back of Chaim Bloom’s head — that this great player could leave in two years. With such a team-friendly contract, it’s potentially worth trading him to get a hoard of prospects back.

Bogaerts is the face of the franchise. Don’t trade him away. End of story.