Xander Bogaerts was removed from the Red Sox's final game of the 2022 Major League Baseball season before the top of the seventh inning and left to a thunderous ovation from the Fenway Park crowd.
The future of the shortstop in Boston is unknown as Bogaerts can opt out of his contract and test the free agent market. But if Wednesday indeed was his last game in a Red Sox uniform, manager Alex Cora made sure the All-Star got his moment as he tipped his cap to those in attendance for the 6-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
For Bogaerts, though, he admitted it was a bit "weird" because, for now, he still is under contract with the Red Sox.
"It felt good. It just felt a little weird because I'm still here," Bogaerts told reporters, per MassLive. "But I know. I get it -- this situation I'm in. But I'm still here and I get everything that's around my contract and stuff like that. So it actually was nice to get something like that done for me on a personal level. So I'm very appreciative of Alex for doing that or thinking to do something like that for me and obviously for J.D. (Martinez) also."
Martinez, who is an impending free agent after five years with the Red Sox, also was pulled from the game. Cora removed him prior to his at-bat in the eighth inning. The designated hitter hit two home runs in the win.
What's next for Bogaerts remains to be seen, but if his time in Boston did come to an end Wednesday, it's something he certainly won't forget.
"I am very thankful for everyone that has helped me be the player that I am today," Bogaerts told reporters. "The Red Sox obviously gave me an opportunity to make my big league debut and gave me my extension, my arbitration years. They've blessed me and my family in that aspect also. So I'm very thankful to the front office, ownership. ... This is the business part of it. I've never been pretty much in this situation before. So we'll see what happens."
Bogaerts is hopeful something can get done once free agency begins but for now, he's going to head home to Aruba and decompress after a grueling season.
