Red Sox fans were left stunned as the clock struck midnight and Wednesday turned to Thursday when Xander Bogaerts reportedly agreed to a massive 11-year deal with the San Diego Padres.
Boston had been the only team Bogaerts knew and things looked to be positive for the Red Sox on Wednesday night when reports indicated that momentum was shifting in their favor.
But the Padres swooped in, beat out several others teams in the market for Bogaerts and dished out 11 years and $280 million for the 30-year-old shortstop.
The Boston Globe’s Julian McWilliams was at the airport in San Diego when he caught up with chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, who McWilliams noted was staring “blankly at his iPhone.” After a few minutes had passed, Bloom finally found the words.
“Everybody is sad that he’s not going to be a part of the organization,” Bloom told McWilliams. “We’re incredibly grateful for him. For everything he’s accomplished here and what he helped this organization accomplish.
“… It’s a part of the game, but that doesn’t make it easier.”
Bogaerts is a two-time World Series champion, a five-time Silver Slugger and was the unofficial captain of the Red Sox. He was beloved by the fanbase and his teammates. Manager Alex Cora always spoke so highly of him. And yet, another homegrown star got away.
“I expect fans will be hurt,” Bloom told McWilliams. “I fully expect that, and I also expect that we’re going to put this together and deliver them winning baseball. It’s gonna look a little different than it would have with Xander. But it’s going to happen and it’s on us to show them. That’s our job.”
It’s unclear what Plan B is now that Bogaerts won’t be returning to the Red Sox. Bloom did say they were exploring options prior to the reported deal, and also noted they had two in-house options in Trevor Story and Kiké Hernández.
The Red Sox will look a little different in 2023, and now it will be up to Bloom and the rest of the Red Sox to field a team their fans can have confidence in.
