If the Boston Red Sox want to extend Xander Bogaerts without him hitting free agency, it might need to be done before Opening Day.
The shortstop can opt out of his six-year deal at the end of the 2022 Major League Baseball season. All signs point to Bogaerts doing just that in order to test the open market and increase his earning potential.
There’s no denying Bogaerts is one of the best at his craft, but he signed an absolute steal of an extension with the Red Sox in 2019. And when you look at the recent contracts given to Corey Seager, Francisco Lindor and Marcus Semien, you realize he likely will get a hefty pay raise.
Bogaerts has been with the Red Sox since 2009 and would like to remain in Boston. He’s open to discussing a contract extension, so long as those talks take place before the Red Sox’s season opener on April 7.
“We don’t have much time if any of that’s going to happen,” Bogaerts told reporters Tuesday in Fort Myers, Fla. “Obviously, I love being here. Everyone knows it. I think that’s pretty clear.
“I mean they’re setting the market pretty different. I try not to think about that during the season. I’m at spring training and I got a deal done a couple years ago at this time. You never know what can happen. But when the season starts, I want to focus on helping the team at that point and try not to worry about those types of talks. If something is going to get done, it’s going to get done now during the season.”
There is not a lot of time between now and April 7, but anything can happen.
For now, Bogaerts is preparing for Opening Day by working on his defense at shortstop, with the hopes of leading the Red Sox on another deep postseason run in 2022.
