Red Sox/MLB 2023 Off Season - Xander Bogaerts and Padres agree to 11-year, $280M deal

[Fenway]

Click to read more...

 

[Fenway]

I am sick and tired of the Red Sox's frugal ways.

They don't want to lose money during a season BUT

They bought the team 21 years ago for $660 million which included Fenway Park property and 80% of NESN. The team was last valued at $3.9 BILLION.

FSG made an ever bigger windfall with Liverpool.

They have ruined Spring Training for me. I became fond of Winter Haven and I was upset when Harrington moved ST to Ft. Myers but I came to like City of Potted Palms Park. However, I despise JetBlue Park.

Harrington and Jim Healey never fully understood how valuable NESN was but they were very generous on wages and working conditions because they wanted it to be the best and frankly NESN was the crown jewel of RSN's - and then Tom Werner came along.

Just once I want the Sox to go Scott Boras and say how much for Bogaerts and then say - DEAL.

 

[GatorMike]

Very much sounds like Eflin and his agent used the Red Sox to get what they wanted out of Tampa.

 

[Troublesome 85]

I dont really follow the sox but when I see winter meetings I always remember when the sox brought it that pitcher from Japan.

 

[DKH]

Hot Stove said Eflin chose Tampa over Boston

Can’t say I blame him - less BS and pressure a great manager and good young players

 

[McGarnagle]

Not a fan of Eflin anyway. Dodged a bullet IMO

 

[Shaun]

 

[Chevalier du Clavier]

If true, so much for the severing ties storyline.

 

[Mione134]

Xander is the heart and soul of this team. Present him with a legitimate offer you greedy f***s.

 

[Chevalier du Clavier]

Move is coming.

 

[McGarnagle]

I'd definitely like to see us get in on the Sean Murphy bidding war.

 

[Chevalier du Clavier]

I'd definitely like to see us get in on the Sean Murphy bidding war.

Sox have apparently talked with Oakland about him, but so have Atlanta and St. Louis.

 

[McGarnagle]

Sox have apparently talked with Oakland about him, but so have Atlanta and St. Louis.

Who wouldn't want to lock up a 27-year old 120 OPS+ catcher? There will be competition but IMO if you can get a great hitting catcher in the lineup, everything else falls into place around it.

 

[quietbruinfan]

Move is coming.

Gee, Mr. Bloom negating another move-shocking.

 

[GatorMike]

Xander is the heart and soul of this team. Present him with a legitimate offer you greedy f***s.

Three years into his contract, what position is he going to be playing?

 

[LouJersey]

Mets need to tell Jake and Nimmo to make up their ****ing minds,

 

[Chevalier du Clavier]

Three years into his contract, what position is he going to be playing?

He'll opt-out after year 2.

 

[LouJersey]

Three years into his contract, what position is he going to be playing?

Which ever one he wants to? Do you want/expect the Sox to just have a team full of guys under 30?

 

[GatorMike]

Which ever one he wants to? Do you want/expect the Sox to just have a team full of guys under 30?

No.

But if he goes to 3B, then you're spending $30+ million on Devers to be a DH.

Maybe he could play 2B, but you'd have to do something with Trevor Story.

Maybe he could play 1B, but Casas seems to be a long-term answer there.

Is he going to be a DH at that point?

Left field?

I'm sorry, but "what position is he going to play in three years" is a legitimate question.

 

[McGarnagle]

Three years into his contract, what position is he going to be playing?

Exactly. It's a massive problem that's going to be hard for the two sides to resolve.

Xander has been a shortstop almost his entire career and is one of the top hitting SS in the game. He and his agent want him to be paid as one of the top hitting SS in the game using Tatis, Correa, Lindor, Turner, etc. as comps. That's a reasonable position to take in negotiation.

The Red Sox see that 1. Xander's defense isn't going to hold up at SS over 8 years and 2. They just drafted Meyer and Romero early in two straight drafts, have Downs in the system, have Trevor Story already on the major league roster, so by year 3 of the deal they see him as a third baseman and will want to pay him as a third baseman using Jose Ramirez and Austin Riley as comps. And that is also a reasonable position to take.

The two sides could meet in the middle to bridge the gap, maybe frontload the deal so he gets more in the years he's a projected shortstop and less when he converts to either 3B or 2B. But it's not a closed negotiation because Xander and Boras can and will go shop around to other teams who may not have a SS in the pipe who are looking for pure offense who will commit 8 years to him as a shortstop and probably give him close to the money he wants. So I can see this ending in an amical breakup for the Sox and Bogey and that doesn't mean that he's being greedy or that they're being cheap. It just seems like a reasonable and inevitable outcome of the negotiation process.

 

[LouJersey]

No.

But if he goes to 3B, then you're spending $30+ million on Devers to be a DH.

Maybe he could play 2B, but you'd have to do something with Trevor Story.

Maybe he could play 1B, but Casas seems to be a long-term answer there.

Is he going to be a DH at that point?

Left field?

I'm sorry, but "what position is he going to play in three years" is a legitimate question.

You can say that about any 29-30 year old no? Was there a concern with Story?

Be careful with penning players like Casas into full time roles while passing on proven MLB players. If you want to hold spots for the younger guys then let him go, deal Devers and acquire guys that have 1-2 years left for short money.

 

[JoeIsAStud]

Three years into his contract, what position is he going to be playing?

But you are Building your 2023 team by focusing on someone you hope might be ready to play in 2025. Prospects, even top ones bust all the time. Or are you saying you don't think Xander will physically capable of playing the position by 2025

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Three years into his contract, what position is he going to be playing?

2B and move Story to DH...problem solved

 

[GatorMike]

You can say that about any 29-30 year old no? Was there a concern with Story?

Be careful with penning players like Casas into full time roles while passing on proven MLB players. If you want to hold spots for the younger guys then let him go, deal Devers and acquire guys that have 1-2 years left for short money.

I have no concern with Trevor Story's defensive position because throughout his career, he's been a good-to-very good defender at Shortstop, who moved to an easier defensive position.

On the other hand, Xander Bogaerts has been close to a replacement level defender for much of his career. His defensive numbers from last year look good on the surface, but they're largely due to last season's dependence on the shift, which is now illegal.

But you are Building your 2023 team by focusing on someone you hope might be ready to play in 2025. Prospects, even top ones bust all the time. Or are you saying you don't think Xander will physically capable of playing the position by 2025

By 2025, I don't think Xander Bogaerts will be physically capable of playing SS at the MLB level. It's got nothing to do with projecting Marcelo Mayer or Mikey Romero or Ceddanne Rafaela into that position. They're going to need a shortstop in three years.

2B and move Story to DH...problem solved

Trevor Story is a better defender.

 

[CDJ]

Who wouldn't want to lock up a 27-year old 120 OPS+ catcher? There will be competition but IMO if you can get a great hitting catcher in the lineup, everything else falls into place around it.

GG caliber defender too