A thought about Xander Bogaerts

[Dojji]

He's slightly buried in the offensive depth chart these days, overshadowed to an extent by JD Martinez and Mookie betts, but I'd like to talk about the impressive season Mr. Bogaerts had this year because he really upped his game this season and it should be recognized.

 

Xander has had a career before 2018 of having good stretches, and then going into massive slumps that tanked his numbers by the end of the year. This year, his age 25 season, was the first year that it did not really happen to him. He finished as strong as he started and provided one of the rarest assets in major professional sports, a true middle of the order caliber power bat out of the shortstop position.

 

We've all known he had the potential to be this, but for the first year ever, he WAS this, and despite the many other incredible things that went our way this past season, this progress shouldn't pass unremarked. The man is starting to enter his prime, and he had his first prime season this year at the right time.

[Bellhorn04]

The question is can we keep him. Not going to be easy.

[kenmeister]

The question is can we keep him. Not going to be easy.

 

If we don't keep Eovaldi and Kimbrel this off-season, and we don't keep Sale or JDM after next, then yes.

[Dojji]

There's only 2-3 players on this team I keep over bogearts. Betts, possibly Sale. Having great offense from the shortstop position is that important.

[moonslav59]

I was impressed by Bogey's gains on offense. He seems to have found the groove, so to speak.

 

I had hoped for growth on defense over the years, but his great offense overshadows any limitations he has on defense, and then some. He did get plus on UZR/150 for only the second time in his career, so maybe there's hop he can keep that up, too. (His DRS numbers have been horrible- like worst in MLB bad.)

 

I'm glad we have him for another year, and it will be hard to keep him at the price tag he will want and get.

 

Cracking the 100 RBI mark was very nice. The 71 XBHs shows he's tapping into the power expected of him, after hitting just 48 last year.

 

[moonslav59]

There's only 2-3 players on this team I keep over bogearts. Betts, possibly Sale. Having great offense from the shortstop position is that important.

 

I'd keep Betts, Sale, Devers and Beni over Bogey. (Not just about the money on the latter two)

[notin]

I'd keep Betts, Sale, Devers and Beni over Bogey. (Not just about the money on the latter two)

 

 

Devers and Benintendi are under control anyway.

 

The Sox will have to make decisions on Bogaerts, Sale, Porcello, and Martinez at season’s end to see whose back...

[kenmeister]

I'd keep Betts, Sale, Devers and Beni over Bogey. (Not just about the money on the latter two)

 

Betts may end up being super expensive. If Price is $30 million per year, what is Betts?

 

All I can say is ... glad it's not my money!

[Larry Cook]

Shortstops with great gloves are fairly easy to find. Just shake a tree and a dozen fall out.

 

Shortstops with offensive tools however tend to be hoarded like gold. And harder to find than an intelligent Yankees fan.

 

I think bogey brings a lot to the table offensively, and is probably below average defensively.

 

But unless benintendi and/or Devers steps up offensively, we may need to overpay to keep bogey!

[Jasonbay44]

Xander and Mookie are the two guys I'm most okay overpaying. Obviously Mookie is #1, and whatever takes do it, I wouldn't be able to watch Mookie in another uniform.

[sk7326]

I always thought if the Red Sox wanted to make a bold move - trading Bogaerts THIS offseason was it. But that would be contingent on how they really feel about re-signing him. There is an element of calculated risk - you could probably have dealt him this offseason for real stuff (like a Top 100 prospect or two, with at least one being fairly close to the big leagues), but that possibility goes down steeply if he gets sold as a trade deadline hired gun.

 

He is going to cost a lot of money - for the same reason Harper and Machado will get paid ... good players just entering who will be 26 on opening day just don't get to the UFA pool that often. Betts will be 2 full years older when he enters UFA - but 28 is still unusually young for a UFA.

 

His swing is complicated and has a lot of ways to get thrown off ... but it was obvious what a year past the hand injury did for him. When he's healthy he's a 4-5 win player. Who wouldn't want that?

Edited November 27, 2018 by sk7326

[oldtimer]

Devers and Benintendi are under control anyway.

 

The Sox will have to make decisions on Bogaerts, Sale, Porcello, and Martinez at season’s end to see whose back...

 

With pitchers, I would want to wait and see how healthy they remain before committing a lot of money and/or any contract length. Porcello has been very durable but questions remain about Sale.