Ex-Red Sox Pitcher Blasts Team’s Handling Of Xander Bogaerts

Boston let one of their most-successful homegrown stars go without much of a fight

Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Joe Kelly knows all about the big names that have electrified Fenway Park over the last decade.

Kelly played a very important role in locking up a World Series title for the Red Sox in 2018 alongside the likes of Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez, Rafael Devers, and star shortstop Xander Bogaerts.

As Bogaerts entered the final year of his contract in 2022, lots were made of the team not locking up the face of their franchise to a long-term deal.

The impact that decision, or lack thereof, had on the club and the fan base was very evident throughout the course of a miserable season.

The offseason arrived, and the San Diego Padres made Bogaerts an offer he couldn’t refuse. 11 years and $280 million dollars later and the former face of the Red Sox was gone just like that.

While making an appearance on our very own ITM Podcast, with myself (Steve Perrault) and Joey Copponi, fan favorite Joe Kelly didn’t hold back when talking about how the Red Sox handled the Bogaerts contract negotiations.

“You let a guy like (Bogaerts) walk?” Kelly said. “When you have a fan base that’s connected to a guy like that, that’s a big slap in the face. He could have been there. He would have been there. He would have been like Pedroia. Wear one uniform and be done. It was honestly kind of sad, for real.”

It’s refreshing to hear this reaction from someone who played alongside Bogaerts for over four seasons and knows exactly the impact he had on that clubhouse each and every year.

It’s one thing for the fans to lose their mind over the financial decision of Red Sox owner John Henry, but when a former player that was paid by that owner questions those roster-building decisions it adds another layer of credibility to the gripes of the Sox supporters.

The Bogaerts negotiations were clearly botched last spring when the team reportedly gave him a lowball offer and the rest was history.

Now the Sox have to hope Kiké Hernández, who has started a grand total of 64 games in his career at shortstop, is expected to be the season-long answer to Bogaerts no longer being in town.

Their shortstop insurance of Adalberto Mondesi, who the team acquired from the Kansas City Royals in late January, will likely be starting the season on the injured list.

This is the projected story of the 2023 Red Sox. Hoping for the best.

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