Xander Bogaerts has the potential to have quite the offseason.
Aside from the likely pay raise the shortstop will receive when Major League Baseball free agency opens, Bogaerts has been nominated to bring home some hardware.
A week after being named a finalist for the American League Gold Glove Award at shortstop, Bogaerts also was named a finalist for the AL Silver Slugger Award at the position — an honor Bogaerts has won four times. He’ll go up against the Toronto Blue Jays’ Bo Bichette, the Texas Rangers’ Corey Seager and the Minnesota Twins’ Carlos Correa (also up for the Gold Glove at shortstop).
Bogaerts was in the chase for the AL batting title toward the end of the 2022 season despite dealing with a wrist injury since May. He batted .307 with 15 home runs and 73 RBIs. Bogaerts also amassed a slugging percentage of .456 and an on-base percentage of .377.
Rafael Devers was named an AL Silver Slugger finalist, as well, which shouldn’t come as a shock given his reliability at the plate this season. The Red Sox third baseman won the award for the first time in his career last year. He will go up against the Cleveland Guardians’ José Ramirez, the Houston Astros’ Alex Bregman and the Toronto Blue Jays’ Matt Chapman.
Devers finished 2022 batting .295 with 27 home runs, 88 RBIs, a .358 OBP and a .521 slugging percentage.
The winners will be announced Nov. 10.
