The Boston Red Sox are working hard to keep many of their core players together for the future and appear to have locked up another one.
The Sox and shortstop Xander Bogaerts are finalizing a 7-year, $132 million contract extension, as reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The contract will include an opt-out, Passan says.
Bogaerts was one of the players the Red Sox feared losing after the season. The 26-year-old was heading for unrestricted free agency, but this would keep him with the club for the foreseeable future.
This extension comes a week after the Sox gave pitcher Chris Sale a 5-year, $150 million contract.
Though Boston still has some big questions looming — will JD Martinez exercise any of his opt-out clauses and will they be able to re-sign Mookie Betts — this provides some nice insurance about their core moving forward. Boston will now have Sale, David Price, Bogaerts and Nathan Eovaldi signed through 2022, with Martinez under contract unless he opts out.
Bogaerts is a one-time All-Star and career .283 hitter with a .772 OPS. Given how tough it is to find a good shortstop, he provides good value at a premium position.
