If This Report Is Accurate It Would Be Worst Case Scenario For Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox may have some major competition on their hands.
Boston has plenty of work to do this offseason to field a more competitive team in 2023 and the biggest question mark certainly is the future of Xander Bogaerts.
The longtime Red Sox shortstop is a free agent and is going to command a large contract and there are plenty of teams willing to pay the price if Boston is unwilling to come to terms on a deal. Although there was some good news on that front Monday as the Atlanta Braves reportedly are out of the Bogaerts sweepstakes, there still are plenty of teams for the Red Sox to worry about.
One team that would be an absolute nightmare for the Red Sox would be the rival New York Yankees. They have decisions of their own to make regarding hulking outfield Aaron Judge, but according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman, the Yankees have at least contacted the four-time All-Star shortstop about potentially coming over to New York.
"Beyond re-signing star first baseman Anthony Rizzo to what amounts to a $40 million deal for two years plus an option Tuesday, they have made several surprising free-agent connections, including with marquee shortstops Trea Turner, Carlos Correa and Xander Bogaerts and also crosstown center-field star Brandon Nimmo," Heyman said.
"It’s possible the Yankees are merely covering the bases and/or hedging their bets, and club personnel have suggested that it remains likely that youngster Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe will compete for the starting shortstop job."
While it doesn't sound likely that Bogaerts will be wearing pinstripes when the 2023 season kicks off, that certainly would be a devastating image for Red Sox fans all around. Bogaerts is a homegrown talent who has spent his entire professional career in the Boston organization so to see one of the team's brightest stars of the last 10 years moved over to New York, would certainly break a few hearts and create some animosity for the Red Sox.
Feelings were hurt around Boston when the team dealt star outfielder Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers but if the team were to fail to sign Bogaerts to a longterm deal and he ended up in New York, the reaction likely would be much worse.
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