Red Sox: Scott Boras stomps out any hope of in-season Xander Bogaerts extension

The Boston Red Sox will have to wait until after the season to hold contract extension talks with star shortstop Xander Bogaerts.

Bogaerts is requesting somewhere within the $32 million – $34 million AAV range on a long-term contract, as he wants to be paid as much as the top tier of shortstops in baseball. This pairs with the shortstop market skyrocketing, and the fact that Bogaerts has an opt out in his contract after this season.

Just a few days ago, Bogaerts left the door open for a possible in-season extension.

“I don’t know how this would work. But if they talk to [agent Scott Boras] behind closed doors and it’s something that’s fair, he can come to me.  We’ll see how that goes,” Bogaerts told the Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham.

Red Sox, Xander Bogaerts contract talks must wait

That door slammed shut on Tuesday night, when Boras stated without a doubt that talks would have to wait until after the season, holding firm on a previous deadline set by the shortstop and his agent of Opening Day to negotiate. Boston missed that deadline.

Per Pete Abraham, “(I) Spoke to Scott Boras this afternoon. He said definitively that any negotiations with Xander Bogaerts would wait until after the season and he looks forward to talking to the Red Sox about a ‘championship proven player.'”

Chaim Bloom and the Boston front office have no one but themselves to blame for their current predicament. They could lose Bogaerts this offseason, and Rafael Devers shortly thereafter, if they don’t act swiftly at the end of the season.

So far this year, Bogaerts is slashing .338/.399/.466 with a .865 OPS.