Red Sox fans will like (most) MLB experts’ Xander Bogaerts predictions

The Boston Red Sox are making slow progress with shortstop Xander Bogaerts, but many experts believe he’s going to stay in Boston.

The Boston Red Sox failed to lock down Xander Bogaerts for 2023, despite his history in Boston, and he’s now officially a free agent. Though this looks like bad news for fans, many MLB experts believe Bogaerts will stay in Boston.

ESPN compiled a list of experts’ opinions on where many top free agents may end up, and Kiley McDaniel, Alden Gonzalez, Joon Lee and Buster Olney all believe the Red Sox will finally dish out enough to keep Bogaerts around. All see him at roughly $30 million per year with a contract between five to seven years.

This would be more than ideal for Boston as they faced major struggles last season and Bogaerts remained one of the few reliable producers on the team. Of course, Boston has faced a lot of backlash in their unfavorable handling of Bogaerts, leaving many fans and even fellow players, such as Rafael Devers, Trevor Story and Hall of Famer David Ortiz, frustrated at the thought of the home-grown star parting ways.

If they manage to re-sign him, they retain some of their chances of success next season.

The Red Sox will maintain some chances of success by keeping Xander Bogaerts

The 2022 season certainly left a bitter taste in the mouths of fans as the Red Sox completely missed the playoffs and hope continuously dwindled over the regular season. Many issues were evident, but Bogaerts brought consistency and pure potential through it all.

He was the only player in Boston nominated for a Gold Glove this season, and he was one of two nominated for a Silver Slugger. He earned the Silver Slugger award, which was well-deserved considering he led all shortstops in batting average (.307) and on-base percentage (.377). He also ranked fourth in WAR (6.1).

He’s one of the best shortstops in the league, and he’ll be hard to replace unless the Red Sox go after another free agent like Dansby Swanson, Carlos Correa or Trea Turner. However, it would certainly be a slap to the face for fans, as Bogaerts has helped the franchise win two World Series.

If Bogaerts leaves, it doesn’t seem likely that they’ll try to invest in a big-market shortstop considering Story is a shortstop but filled in at second so Bogaerts could stay at that position. He’s a good player, but that’s bound to pose issues as the whole roster is rearranged to fill a hole that can’t be filled by anyone currently on the team.

After quite an unpredictable season, the Red Sox are best off signing Bogaerts. Thankfully, many experts see that as a major possibility.