3 former Red Sox who the club wishes were still in Boston

2. Xander Bogaerts, SS, San Diego Padres

Obviously, this is the big and most notable player that the Red Sox miss.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a fan who wanted Xander Bogaerts to leave Boston. And it’s been wholly evident while watching the Sox in 2023 as to why. Even before we get to the bat, Bogaerts was a solid defensive player at shortstop. He was never a star with the leather, but he was overall reliable. And with the way the defense in the middle of the infield (and overall) has been a problem for Alex Cora’s club this year, that’s been wholly notable.

Then you have the bat and, while the Padres have struggled in their own right to start this season, Bogaerts has struggled — but even his struggling has still been overall productive. For the season, the shortstop is slashing .252/.337/.388 with seven home runs and eight doubles on the year. If he just gets even a little hot, he’s right back to the star he was for the Red Sox pretty quickly.

Now, it’s worth noting that Chaim Bloom and the Boston front office were not wrong for the way they handled free agency with Bogaerts in a vacuum. In no way should the Sox have given him the contract that the Padres ultimately did, paying him an exorbitant amount until he’s past 40 years old.

At the same time, the part of this that should really sting for Red Sox fans is the fact that it never had to get to tha point. If Bloom and the front office had seriously began extension talks years prior when they should’ve, Bogaerts could’ve been in Boston for life. Instead, he’s now moved on.

And while it might not be his best season in his career to this point, there’s no denying that the Sox greatly miss him both in the field and at the plate.