The shortstop market this winter is absolutely stacked, and Xander Bogaerts is arguably the best of the bunch. That is why he is sure to have many suitors competing for his services over the next few months in MLB free agency.
Players like American League MVP Aaron Judge and New York Mets great Jacob deGrom will receive a lot of free-agent attention, but shortstop is by far the deepest position this winter. And all-Stars Carlos Correa, Dansby Swanson, Trea Turner, and Xander Bogaerts are all available to the highest bidder.
However, the Red Sox veteran is in a class of his own. The 30-year-old is a four-time All-Star, has a World Series title under his belt, and has succeeded in one of the hardest markets in sports: Boston. If you can play at a high level for a decade and win a title in that city, you can do it anywhere on the planet.
Also read: Trea Turner in MLB free agency – 5 ideal landing spots for 2022 All-Star
What is also key this winter is Xander Bogaerts is still in his prime right now. It means any franchise that ponies up big bucks for him is likely to get an All-Star for at least three more seasons. He is a game-changer player that could easily push a contender over the line into a serious championship threat in 2023.
5 possible landing spots for Xander Bogaerts in MLB free agency
Xander Bogaerts is sure to garner some serious interest over the next few months, and as mentioned above, there are good reasons for that. While there could be as many as a dozen teams that reach out about his asking price, only a select few have a real chance of securing his talents.
With that in mind, here are the five teams with the best chances of signing Bogaerts in MLB free agency this winter.
New York Yankees
What a killer blow it would be to Boston for the New York Yankees to sign away their homegrown star. The Red Sox are already at a weak point coming off a down season in 2022. Losing the heart of their roster would be elite-level kicking a team while they are down.
However, beyond hurting their greatest rival, the Yankees could use a player like Bogaerts. While they have a top prospect in Oswald Peraza that can man shortstop, signing Bogaerts could force him to an easier spot while strengthening the order behind Aaron Judge — assuming they re-sign him.
If they don’t re-sign Judge, Bogaerts could be a new face for the pinstripes.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies just fell short of shocking the world and winning a championship in 2022. President Dave Dombrowski has made it clear the team will make big moves this offseason to make them a “championship caliber” team.
The Phils are locked into many positions with long-term contracts, however, shortstop is one area they can upgrade. Xander Bogaerts would be a major upgrade at that spot and undoubtedly makes them championship-caliber next season.
Seattle Mariners
On Sunday, it was reported that the Seattle Mariners are in pursuit of upgrades in the middle infield and have checked in on Trea Turner. However, it was also revealed that they have reached out to all the notable infielders on the MLB free agent market.
- Xander Bogaerts stats (2022): .307 AVG, .377 OBP, .456 SLG, 15 HR, 73 RBI
There is always a dark horse in free agency, and the on-the-rise Mariners could be a major surprise team to land the Red Sox great. They need another star player to combine with young stud Julio Rodriguez.
Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox re-signing Bogaerts really should be a no-brainer but that just isn’t the case. They should try to avoid a second Mookie Betts scenario and see one of their best homegrown talents of the decade win a championship soon after leaving the franchise.
Earlier this week, the organization’s CEO admitted that offers have been made to several players in and outside of the organization. One of those very well could have gone to their four-time All-Star. Furthermore, there is a great deal of prestige and financial benefits in playing the majority of a career for a legendary franchise like the Sox.
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are expected to be players in the MLB free-agent market over the upcoming months. They have the brand appeal, and the money to land the best players available. While Aaron Judge is believed to be a top target, they will likely get outbid by the Yankees or the Dodgers.
However, bringing in a top-line star like Bogaerts for a far-from-historic price would still be a major win for the Giants this winter. It would not at all be surprising if Bogaerts is the second player on San Francisco’s Christmas list.