If This Report Is Accurate, It Would Make Xander Bogaerts Reunion Very Realistic

Boston might have the last word in the Bogey negotiations

Scott Neville | Dec 4, 2022

If This Report Is Accurate, It Would Make Xander Bogaerts Reunion Very Realistic /

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Boston Red Sox

The whirlwind of rumors leading up to the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings have proven that shortstop Xander Bogaerts currently has the widest market among all shortstops in the free-agent class.

With every rumor, it makes the idea of Bogey ending his career in Boston less and less likely. However, there is one report that would swing the odds back in the Red Sox’s favor.

"Xander Bogaerts will not leave Red Sox without presenting (Boston with) the latest offer from another team that suits what (he is) are looking for," Red Sox beat writer Marino Pepén tweeted Friday, as translated by Google Translate.

If this report is true, and Bogaerts has agreed to give Boston the final say, the wait-and-see approach might not be as dreadful as it appears. Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom can let Bogaerts test the waters of free agency for the first time in his career, and wait for another team to set Bogaerts' price. It’s a gamble, but at this point it’s a solid course of action.

Either way, knowing Bogaerts’ willingness to let Boston match the top offer dispels any idea of him severing ties with the Red Sox, and makes it much more likely for a reunion.

Bogaerts was originally expected to sign for somewhere in the ballpark of six-years, $168 million via FanGraphs. After larger league-wide interest than most expected, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported that Bogaerts could receive a contract that could reach or possibly even exceed $200 million.

While Bogaerts is a great player, that number still feels inflated given his age and question marks surrounding his long-term future defensively.

The hot stove is at it’s peak and this is the time when unexpected teams test the waters on free agents they do not actually expect to land but are doing due diligence anyway. When it’s all said and done, the former and more tame contract feels more likely than the latter.

Red Sox Nation should hope so, as Bloom does not appear poised to break the bank for Bogaerts, but certainly would welcome him with open arms for the right price.

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Published Dec 4, 2022

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu