Xander Bogaerts has opted out of his contract with the Red Sox to become a free agent, and MLB.com is keeping track of the latest rumors surrounding the shortstop.
Read all about Bogaerts here.
Dec. 2: Who could sign Bogaerts away from Red Sox?
Bogaerts hasn’t closed the door on a return to the Red Sox, according to his agent, Scott Boras, but MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi puts the chances of the shortstop signing elsewhere around 50/50.
According to Morosi, the Phillies are showing interest in Bogaerts and could pivot to the 30-year-old if they aren’t able to sign their No. 1 target, Trea Turner.
The Dodgers, Cubs and D-backs are eyeing Bogaerts as well, according to a report from ESPN’s Jeff Passan (subscription required) earlier this week. Bogaerts also has been linked to the Padres, Twins and Yankees.
Another potential landing spot that Morosi isn’t ruling out? The Marlins.
“The Marlins for me have been lurking as a possible free-agent destination for a number of different players in recent years,” Morosi said Friday on MLB Network. “This is the player, if the Marlins are ever going to announce their arrival … if you are ever, as the Marlins, going to make a statement that you intend to compete in that division, Bogaerts is the man who you sign.”
Signing Bogaerts would likely shatter the record for the largest free-agent deal in Marlins history. The current record is $106 million over six years for shortstop José Reyes after the 2011 season. The largest overall contract in franchise history went to Giancarlo Stanton — $325 million over 13 years. Miami traded Reyes to the Blue Jays a year into his deal and dealt Stanton to the Yankees three years after he signed his extension.
Nov. 30: Yankees could go after Bogaerts
The Yankees’ No. 1 offseason objective remains to re-sign Aaron Judge. The team has reportedly increased its offer to the AL MVP to somewhere around eight years and $300 million. But if another team such as the Giants comes in over the top with an offer Judge simply can’t refuse, might the Yankees pivot to the star-studded shortstop market and try to fill the void left behind by making Bogaerts their top target? ESPN’s Buster Olney said recently on the Baseball Isn’t Boring Podcast that such a situation “wouldn’t shock me.”
Olney also identified Trea Turner as a possible fit for the Yankees but with the caveat that he is probably going to be more expensive than Bogaerts. The Phillies are currently seen as the favorites for Turner.
Two of the Yankees’ top prospects, shortstops Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza, will get a shot to grab MLB jobs out of Spring Training, managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said last week. But that may not preclude the Yankees from vying for the Red Sox’s longtime shortstop.
“He is a guy who’s a terrific professional hitter. He can hold down the position for one year. He could then move to another spot as Volpe, as Peraza graduate into the Major Leagues at shortstop,” Olney said. “He has checked every box for what they’ve been veering toward the last few years: more contact, a guy that can put the ball in play, terrific leadership, great clubhouse guy.”
If the Yankees do pivot to Bogaerts, they will have to deal with a handful of other interested suitors, a list that includes the Phillies, Dodgers, Cubs and D-backs, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan (subscription required). MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reported last week in the New York Post that the Padres also like Bogaerts.
Nov. 29: Padres could be dark horse for Bogaerts
With Josh Bell, Brandon Drury and Wil Myers all entering free agency, the Padres have an opening at first base and reportedly were making José Abreu a top priority. However, Abreu is now off the market after signing a three-year deal with the Astros on Monday.
Although it’s possible San Diego will pivot to Bell, Drury or one of the other free-agent first basemen after missing out on Abreu, there’s a more outside-the-box solution that appears to be on the table for the club and might have become more realistic with the Abreu signing.
With Fernando Tatis Jr. signed through 2034 and Ha-Seong Kim under contract through 2024 (he also has a 2025 mutual option), the Friars don’t seem to have a pressing need at short. However, San Diego would seemingly have interest in Bogaerts if he was willing to play first base or second in the short term. That would also provide the club insurance in case third baseman Manny Machado decides to opt out following the 2023 season.
It’s also possible that signing the 30-year-old Bogaerts would open the door for Tatis moving to left, Kim to second and Jake Cronenworth to first.
Bogaerts is tied to Draft compensation after declining the Red Sox’s qualifying offer, so the Padres would need to forfeit their second- and fifth-highest selections in the 2023 Draft, plus $1 million from their international bonus pool, to sign him.
The Friars are also already close to the first Competitive Balance Tax threshold (set at $233 million in 2023). A Bogaerts deal could push them over the first and second thresholds ($253 million). After exceeding the CBT threshold in both 2021 and 2022, the Padres would be taxed 50% on all overages past the first threshold, then 45% on overages past the second threshold.
Nov. 25: Bogaerts could find fit in Philly, San Diego
According to a report from MLB Network insider Jon Heyman, while Xander Bogaerts and the Red Sox still appear far apart in their negotiations, the Phillies, who could also be on the hunt for a free agent shortstop this winter, remain a possible fit for the 30-year-old. The Padres, looking to add a strong leadership presence to their clubhouse, have also expressed interest in Bogaerts, despite having Ha-Seong Kim signed through at least 2024 and Fernando Tatis Jr. entering the third year of his 14-year extension.
Per Heyman, Bogaerts is also the current backup plan for the Twins, in the event that Carlos Correa signs elsewhere.
The Red Sox have reportedly made multiple offers to the star shortstop since the end of the season. The four-time All-Star has averaged a 134 wRC+ over the past five seasons, the highest among all shortstops with at least 2,000 plate appearances during that span. Bogaerts also had his best defensive season in 2022 as he accrued a career-high five Outs Above Average.
Nov. 24: Twins targeting Bogaerts as Correa fallback option (report)
The Twins have made it clear that they want Carlos Correa back after he opted out of his contract, and they’ve reportedly already made him multiple offers. But if they are unable to re-sign him, there are several other attractive shortstop options on the free-agent market, including Trea Turner, Dansby Swanson and Bogaerts.
According to LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune, Minnesota has circled Bogaerts as its No. 2 choice at shortstop behind Correa. Both players are represented by Scott Boras.
There could be a substantial difference in the contracts the two shortstops command on the open market, both in total guaranteed money and average annual value. MLB Trade Rumors recently predicted a nine-year, $288 million deal ($32M AAV) for Correa and a seven-year, $189 million contract ($27M AAV) for Bogaerts.
Joe Mauer holds the record for the largest deal in Twins history at $184 million over eight years.
Nov. 16: Red Sox have made ‘at least two offers’ to Bogaerts (report)
According to a report by the Boston Globe, the Red Sox have made “at least two offers” to Bogaerts since the end of the 2022 regular season — one before he officially opted out of the final three years of his contract with Boston, and a “sweetened” offer since then.
“We’ve been engaged with Xander since the end of this season, and Scott [Boras], his agent, and I’ll leave it at that,” said Red Sox CEO and president Sam Kennedy said on Wednesday. “But we’ve had productive conversations.”
Nov. 12: Phillies have ‘real interest’ in Bogaerts (report)
MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reports that the Phillies are “believed to have real interest” Bogaerts. Heyman adds that Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has a “strong link” to Bogaerts from when he was at the front of the Red Sox’s front office from 2015-19. He signed Bogaerts to a six-year, $120 extension in the spring of 2019; that’s the contract Bogaerts opted out of earlier this week.
The Red Sox have said that getting their star shortstop back under contract is an offseason priority, but Heyman reported recently that Boston has “gotten nowhere” in recent talks with Bogaerts. The Phillies seem to be focusing on the top of the shortstop market and have been considered the most likely landing spot for Trea Turner. Other teams, such as the Mariners and Dodgers, have also been mentioned as possibilities for Bogaerts.
Nov. 10: The latest on Bogaerts-Red Sox talks
The Red Sox’s plan at shortstop is simple: Re-sign Xander Bogaerts, or replace him at shortstop with Trevor Story as they reportedly won’t go shopping for any of the other star shortstops available on the market. Hope remains within the team that it will reunite with the four-time All-Star, but the two sides don’t seem particularly close to an agreement.
If Boston falls out of the picture, Heyman lists the Dodgers as a sensible landing spot for Bogaerts and adds the Cubs as a possibility since they “seem very interested in adding a big piece ….”
Chicago shortstop Nico Hoerner batted .285 with a .763 OPS over the final 80 games of the 2022 season and tied for second among shortstops with 13 outs above average. However, the Cubs hinted in September that Hoerner is willing to move around the diamond if they land a player of Bogaerts’ ilk.
Nov. 9: Will this playoff team make a run at Bogaerts?
The Seattle Mariners currently have J.P. Crawford installed as their long-term solution at shortstop. However, the team has said, according to MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi, that it is open to considering alternatives at that spot for the right player. That’s where Bogaerts comes in.
Morosi said Wednesday that Bogaerts could be a “unique possibility” this winter for Seattle, which has reportedly spoken with Crawford’s representatives about the possibility of him moving to another position to make room for one of the big-name shortstops available.
Nov. 8: Red Sox preparing for life without Bogaerts?
The Red Sox are still hoping to re-sign Bogaerts after their longtime shortstop opted out of his deal on Monday, but if the 30-year-old departs, it’s unlikely Boston will look to replace him with one of the other star free agents on the market.
According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, it seems the team’s backup plan is to move Trevor Story back to shortstop. After signing a six-year, $140 million contract with Boston last March, Story shifted to second base for 2022. He was a shortstop his first six seasons with the Rockies.
With Story potentially changing positions, sources told Feinsand that the Red Sox have been reaching out to teams to inquire about the availability of their second basemen.
Nov. 7: Bogaerts officially opt outs; what’s next?
As expected, Bogaerts has opted out of his contract — which had three years and $60 million left on it — with the Red Sox to become a free agent. Both Boston and Bogaerts have expressed interest in a reunion, but they were reportedly far apart in negotiations during the spring.
According to an April report from MLB Network insider Jon Heyman, the Red Sox offered to tack another year for around $30 million onto Bogaerts’ deal — essentially giving him a four-year deal for roughly $90 million across 2023-26. Heyman speculated at that point that there was a gap of $100 million or more between the two sides.
Bogaerts joins a free agent market that also includes star shortstops Carlos Correa, Trea Turner and Dansby Swanson.
While breaking down the free-agent market in an article for the New York Post last week, Heyman put the Braves, Dodgers, Twins, Cardinals, Phillies and Giants on the list of clubs other than the Red Sox that could have interest in signing Bogaerts.