3 Xander Bogaerts replacements for Red Sox not named Trevor Story
By Tim Boyle
2) Red Sox replacement for Xander Bogaerts candidate: Marcelo Mayer
Maybe the Red Sox saw what happened with the Houston Astros and are simply planning to replicate it. Houston let Carlos Correa leave last offseason. Up came rookie Jeremy Pena who had a strong regular season then went on to win the ALCS and World Series MVP.
Mayer is the fourth overall pick from the 2021 draft and has put up some good numbers in the minor leagues. Replacing Bogaerts, however, doesn’t seem so reasonable. Mayer is only 116 plate appearances in High-A into his career. Reaching the major leagues in 2023 is a stretch. On Opening Day, it seems impossible.
Mayer is the obvious long-term option for the Red Sox. In the meantime, they’re going to need to look elsewhere. Let’s dig a little deeper in free agency.
A reunion with Jose Iglesias might be palatable enough to get the Red Sox through at least 2023. The same could be true if they decided to bring in Elvis Andrus. Each is past the prime of their career. They are the kind of player you sign to a one-year contract and hope everything else works out around them.
Short of those two, free agency only offers top names and guys they should stay away from. The Red Sox do have one other action they can take. One American League team has a shortstop that might not cost a whole lot.