5 sluggers teams should already be thinking about buying at the trade deadline

MLB Trade Rumors: Xander Bogaerts drama will benefit someone at the deadline

I sense an ugly breakup on the horizon between the Boston Red Sox and longtime shortstop Xander Bogaerts. The three-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger and one of the most popular players on this Red Sox roster since his debut in 2013, is likely to be moved at some point this season.

When the Sox signed Trevor Story to a huge six-year, $140MM contract earlier in the offseason, it seemed a certainty that Bogaerts would slide over to second base and Story would man shortstop, the only position he has ever played in professional baseball. Things did not pan out that way, as Bogaerts blatantly refused to move off of the shortstop position – forcing the Red Sox to move Story, the better defensive shortstop, to second base.

Bogaerts is in the third season of a six-year contract extension he signed a few years back but has an opt out at the conclusion of this year, one that he can and likely should exercise. The sizeable extension he signed in 2019 has proven to be a steal for the Red Sox as he has been one of the most valuable offensive shortstops in the game. Rumor has it that Boston recently offered him a four-year, $90MM deal that would shore up the three years he has left on his current deal while adding a fourth year.

That is a borderline insulting contract offer by the Red Sox to one of their best players.

Since he has been playing on a much cheaper contract than he’s worth, the recent contracts handed out to Francisco Lindor, Corey Seager, Carlos Correa, Marcus Semien and his teammate Trevor Story suggest that he is in line for a massive payday.

With the Red Sox scuffling to an 11-20 record through the team’s first 31 games, Bogaerts has gone on record to say that he’s not pleased with the team’s lackluster performance; furthering the possibility that he is dealt.

There are two clubs that immediately stick out as ones that have the organizational depth to acquire Bogaerts and potentially even the money to keep him around for longer than the current season; the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals. The Phillies have Didi Gregorious, the worst defensive shortstop in the major leagues atop the depth chart currently and the Cardinals have the recently-demoted Paul De Jong at the top of theirs. Both clubs, with playoff aspirations in mind, could look to swing a deal for the Red Sox slugger.