Red Sox’s Bloom Reiterates Interest in Xander Bogaerts After Opt-Out

The shortstop opted out of his contract and will hit free agency.

During GM Meetings in Las Vegas, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom addressed shortstop Xander Bogaerts’s decision to opt out of the final three years and $60 million of his contract on Monday to become a free agent. Needless to say, he was dismayed with the decision. 

“It’s disappointing because Xander has been [a] credit to this organization every day that he’s been in it. We want him here. He makes us better,” Bloom said, per The Boston Globe. “We respect his right to exercise [the opt-out] and to explore the market. We want him back and we will stay engaged with him.”

Bogaerts has been part of the Boston organization since he was 16 and has won two World Series while there. Bloom was honest and said the team would explore other options at shortstop but was clear who his priority is at the position. 

“[Bogaerts is] our first choice. That’s not going to change,” Bloom said. “Part of our jobs is to explore every option to field a contending team next year and put together a really good group. We need to explore every possible way to do that, but Bogey’s our first choice.”

This past season, the 30-year-old slashed .307/.377/.456 with 15 home runs.