The Boston Red Sox have yet to lock down star shortstop Xander Bogaerts this offseason, and agent Scott Boras took an honest shot at them for it.
Red Sox fans continue to be frustrated as another day has passed without Xander Bogaerts re-signed to the team, and even his agent Scott Boras is expressing his sentiments on the situation with a hilarious yet honest take.
The Red Sox were very mediocre over the 2022 regular season, missing the playoffs entirely and finishing dead last in the AL East, the only team in the division to finish below .500. While they had a good lineup that was competitive, their defense wasn’t anything overly special and their bullpen was a major point of concern.
Bogaerts was a huge contributor to any success Boston managed to scrape together. Without him, the season would’ve gone much worse and it’s very likely to in 2023 if they don’t keep him around.
They likely won’t replace him with another star shortstop. Rather, they’d be more likely to shift around the roster as Trevor Story was signed to play shortstop but was pushed to second base because Bogaerts didn’t want to give up his position. Story got the job done at second base, so the system with Story and Bogaerts in their respective positions was effective and should remain.
Without Bogaerts, the plan would likely ensue with Story at shortstop and either Kiké Hernandez or Christian Arroyo at second.
The Red Sox have been quiet this offseason, but they have reported that their priority is signing Bogaerts. It’s hard to believe because their actions have shown otherwise, but there does remain a real chance he could stay.
There’s a realistic chance Xander Bogaerts stays with the Red Sox
With the market dwindling down and one shortstop, Trea Turner, already being taken off, Boston will face limited options. While they do have players internally they could shift around, it wouldn’t be necessarily wise to rely on them.
The depth, for starters, would be thrown off if they don’t have another reliable shortstop other than Story. Story was injured multiple times over last season, and he also faced multiple injuries in 2021 with the Colorado Rockies. If he’s unable to play, there won’t be anyone reliable to replace him.
Bogaerts has also been proven to be successful in Boston as he’s played with the Red Sox his entire career, beginning in 2013. This season, he earned a Silver Slugger and was nominated for a Gold Glove, the only player on the team nominated for the defensive award.
He was with the Red Sox for two World Series wins, multiple players have shared they want him to stay (including Story himself, Rafael Devers and Hall of Famer David Ortiz) and he’s one of the best shortstops in the entire league. In 2022, he led the league for shortstops in batting average (.307) and on-base percentage (.377).
There are many reasons for the Red Sox to want to keep him around, and they’ve shared their intention to. While it’s hard to hold hope because they’ve yet to sign him, it’s still a realistic possibility.