The biggest question facing the Red Sox this offseason is whether Xander Bogaerts will return to Boston — the only team he’s ever played for in his Major League Baseball career.
Bogaerts, as everyone expected, opted out of the final three years of his deal with the Red Sox and entered free agency. He’s reportedly been garnering interest from several teams as Boston continues to stand by saying the All-Star shortstop is its top priority.
Trea Turner reportedly agreed to a massive 11-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday and became the first shortstop domino to fall at this year’s winter meetings, inevitably setting the market for other names like Carlos Correa, Dansby Swanson and Bogaerts.
Red Sox fans understandably are getting antsy for some news regarding Bogaerts, and chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and manager Alex Cora spoke to the media in San Diego to (sort of) provide an update on where things stand.
Bloom, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, told reporters the “Red Sox still view Bogaerts as a top priority,” and that the “team expected him to fully explore market, which he’s doing, and plans to continue to remain engaged with him.”
Sure, it’s likely not the update fans were hoping for, but after all the reports last week of Bogaerts severing ties with the Red Sox and the Arizona Diamondbacks emerging as a “serious suitor,” it still allows for some optimism.
Bloom added, per Speier, that the Red Sox have made offers to Bogaerts and they plan to stay engaged with him, but did acknowledge should Bogaerts go elsewhere in free agency, there are two in-house options with Kiké Hernández and Trevor Story, who have been on the recruiting trail.
Cora echoed Bloom’s sentiments.
“Obviously, we know where we’re at. We know what we’ve done the last few months,” Cora told reporters, per Speier. “He’s doing everything he has to do to make a decision in the future. Hopefully that decision is the Boston Red Sox.”
There really is no timeline on when Bogaerts is expected to make a decision, but if he’s getting as much interest that’s been reported, he’ll want to take his time in choosing where to sign.
