How Much Red Sox's Xander Bogaerts Is Expected To Make This Offseason
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While the Rafael Devers contract discussions are sweeping headlines, the Boston Red Sox's most immediate concern regards the player who lines up next to him, shortstop Xander Bogaerts.
The 30-year-old opted out of his contract Monday, officially becoming a free agent for the first time in his career.
In a market full of shortstops, how much will the elder statesman of the class get?
FanGraphs released their yearly median crowdsource projections for the top 50 free agents, and had Bogaerts tabbed for a six-year, $168 million deal. That contract would have an average annual value of $28 million, which is in line with what most have thrown out there.
The biggest question for Bogaerts revolves around the years, not the money. If the Red Sox can lock their star shortstop and unofficial captain in for six years, they should do so. And for that price? There shouldn't even be a second thought.
The fear is that he will get seven or possibly even eight years, which would likely put Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom out of the running. He's said before that normally it's "time to get off the bus" when talking about a 30-year-old shortstop, but Bogaerts is an exception. Still, he doesn't seem too keen on signing long-term deals with players that are toward the end of their prime. History would back up his philosophy.
While Bogaerts' market value being seven or eight years would be unexpected, it only takes one other team to break up any chances of a potential reunion.
Still, these projections have been fairly accurate in the past, and Bogaerts' expected price tag is more than reasonable. The Red Sox would almost certainly sign that deal in a heartbeat.
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