Boston Red Sox players and fans watch the last moments of Game 4 in baseball's American League Division Series, Monday, Oct. 9, 2017, in Boston. The Houston Astros eliminated the Red Sox with a 5-4 victory. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) ORG XMIT: NYOTK
Xander Bogaerts agrees to a huge deal with the San Diego Padres after leaving the Red Sox.
There’s a big void on the Red Sox roster that has to be filled. Xander Bogaerts is heading out of town to join the Padres in San Diego.
Numerous reports state that Bogaerts’ contract is reportedly worth $280 million spread over 11 years.
Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe said that the Red Sox had no chance of holding onto their starting shortstop.
At the GM Meetings in Las Vegas earlier this offseason, Boston Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom stated that the team’s top pick at shortstop this offseason was Bogaerts. However, as the Baseball Winter Meetings began in San Diego over the weekend, rumors circulated that Boston has not yet made Bogaerts a competitive offer.
On Wednesday, it appeared as though negotiations between Bogaerts and the Red Sox had picked up steam. However, those discussions never took off.
The Red Sox will now need to come up with a backup plan while bidding farewell to a player who joined the team in 2009.
Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe said that the Red Sox had no chance of winning the pennant.
In 2022, Bogaerts, 30, was an All-Star for the second consecutive season. In the end, he had a.833 OPS, 15 home runs, 73 RBIs, and a.307 batting average. Bogaerts was a Gold Glove finalist for the first time in his career, despite critics pointing to his defense.
During his ten years in the major leagues, Bogaerts—who the Red Sox first signed in 2009 as an international free agent at the age of sixteen—became one of the team’s most recognizable figures. During his tenure with the Red Sox, Bogaerts was recognized with two World Series rings and four All-Star selections. Having been called up late in the season, he won his first title in 2013 while playing third base in the Fall Classic, and his second in 2018 as
2019 was Bogaerts’ best season, as he set career highs with 33 home runs and 117 RBI. In addition to winning the third of his four career Silver Slugger awards, he finished fifth in the MVP voting that season.
Prior to the 2018 season, Bogaerts stated that he would like to stay with the Red Sox. However, the Red Sox offered to add one year at $30 million to the remaining three years of his team-friendly deal, which caused the talks to end. After the World Series, Bogaerts formally chose to opt out of that contract, which would have paid him $20 million a year through 2025, and became a free agent for the first time in his career.
For the first time in his career, he will now play for a team other than the Red Sox. A fan favorite and one of the team’s biggest contributors over the previous ten years, the Red Sox now have to find a replacement.
READ MORE
A free agent, Justin Turner declines the $13.4 million Red Sox contract option for the 2024 MLB season.
On Friday, Justin Turner exercised his $13.4 million player option with the Boston Red Sox, allowing the seasoned infielder to explore his free agency options.
Additionally, Boston declared that it had rejected Corey Kluber’s $11 million 2024 option. Kluber is a right-handed pitcher.
Before the 2023 season, Turner signed a two-year, $22 million contract with the Red Sox. After spending nine years with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Turner quickly won over fans. In 146 games, he slashed.276/.345/.455 with 23 home runs and 96 RBI during a strong season in Boston.
The Red Sox, who have missed the playoffs four times in the previous five seasons, underperformed overall. Although Turner made a significant impact, the club’s pitching staff and recurrent fielding errors prevented Boston from winning the pennant, which ended in yet another disappointing season.
Turner will now have the chance to test the market. Turner won two All-Star selections with the Dodgers in 2020, won the NLCS MVP award, and won a World Series with the team.
Turner slashed.296/.375/.490 with 156 home runs and 574 RBI in 1,075 games during his nine seasons with the Dodgers.
Turner was a member of the New York Mets and Baltimore Orioles before joining the Dodgers.
