Yesterday, the Red Sox started the day well. The Boston club offered its supporters Kenley Jansen before signing Masataka Yoshida.
But above all, there was, for the first time in a year, hope in the Xander Bogaerts case. Reportedly, the Red Sox were seriously negotiating with the top shortstop.
But in the end, it was too late. Xander Bogaerts has finally signed a contract with the Padres and the efforts of the last 24 hours do not count anymore.
The Sox without the X are so sosaid Scott Boras a few days ago… and he is right.
No one blames the Red Sox for not offering $280 million to Bogaerts since that’s a pretty crazy amount for the shortstop. But why is this a crazy amount?
Because Chaim Bloom gave him the chance to become a free agent and enter a market like that. If the Sox had offered something nice before, Bogaerts might have just stayed in town at a more reasonable price. The reasonable price does not exist in the current market.
But as with Mookie Betts, the club have found a way to lose an important star that has been developed by a side that can afford to pay for it.
Reportedly, the Red Sox recently offered the star $160 million over six years and three or four teams went over $200 million in negotiations. He might want to come back to Boston, but there were limits.
This means that the Sox now have a lot of pressure to build a good lineup WITHOUT Xander. Does this give ammunition to Rafael Devers, who will be a free agent in a year? Certainly, yes.
Will Trevor Story go to shortstop?
Ultimately, if the Padres had succeeded in signing Aaron Judge, not only would he have left the division, but the Sox would have had a better chance of keeping Bogaerts.
But like I said, Boston just had to make sure their player was never free as air. It was a risk that ultimately didn’t pay off for the Sox.
But he reported in San Diego.
11 years is a lot of years for a guy who will be 41 at the end of the agreement. That said, in the short term, the Padres have quite the roster.
The plan, right now, would be to move Ha-Seong Kim to second base, Jake Cronenworth to first base and have Fernando Tatis Jr. and Juan Soto in the outfield corners. Trent Grisham and Manny Machado would keep their position.
The club would also be open to adding a starter and signing depth guys, which will make San Diego a really strong club on paper.
Will this translate into success on the ground? Who knows… but we can never accuse the Padres, who play in one of MLB’s small markets, of not trying to win.
In the end, what the Padres were looking for was a guy who’s in town to stay — for better or for worse, considering the 11-year contract. Moreover, contracts that bring stars into their forties seem to be becoming fashionable again…
Why am I saying that? Because Manny Machado has an exit option that he should use in a year. Whether it’s quitting or re-signing a huge contract in San Diego, he’s going to take her.
Rumors are sending Fernando Tatis Jr. elsewhere. Juan Soto sees the market and he must tell himself that it’s worth not signing for the long term in two years. Will he be traded next winter?
But Xander has a no-trade clause and no exit option. He is in California to stay there long term.
So the Padres finally got their man. After dropping Aaron Judge and Trea Turner (who had bids of $400M and $342M), they got their star.
The Padres therefore find themselves with three shortstops on hand. There are going to be mass circuits within an organization that doesn’t spend money to win.
And in Boston? I don’t see them signing a big shortstop with market prices, so the season could be a bit long at times.
- Dansby Swanson at the Twins? He and Carlos Correa remain on the market.
- The Braves improve their bullpen.
- Fernando Tatis Jr.’s younger brother is said to have had a motorcycle accident. He doesn’t learn from his big brother’s mistakes?
- Justin Verlander bid farewell to Houston.
