Xander Bogaerts said in spring training he didn’t want to discuss a contract extension with the Boston Red Sox during the season, as the All-Star shortstop wanted to avoid becoming a distraction.
So, it should come as little surprise that Bogaerts remained mum Friday when asked about an offer the Red Sox reportedly made to him.
“You’ve got to talk to my agent about that,” Bogaerts said before Boston’s home opener at Fenway Park, per MassLive.com. “I don’t want to get into any of that. (Thursday) was a day off so it was good to see something like that on a day off instead of a day there’s a game. I won’t comment on that.”
Bogaerts can opt out of his contract and become a free agent after this season, a scenario that seems very likely given the lucrative deals recently signed by other elite shortstops.
This doesn’t mean Bogaerts’ days in Boston are numbered. The sides could work something out in the coming months, before or after he tests the open market. But Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom acknowledged Thursday during an appearance on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” that a gap existed in the club’s early negotiations with Bogaerts, and it’s clear the 29-year-old is serious about focusing on this season rather than what his long-term future holds.
Bogaerts, who turns 30 in October, has three All-Star selections and four Silver Slugger awards on his résumé. He’s won two World Series titles with Boston.
