The Boston Red Sox are throwing fans on the craziest adventure with minimal updates on star shortstop Xander Bogaerts, but teams are emerging to sign him.
The Red Sox are in a tossup of whether or not they’ll keep star shortstop Xander Bogaerts through his free agency. As teams are beginning to make signings and the market dwindles down, Boston has to make a decision before it’s too late. Teams are keeping tabs on Bogaerts, and the Red Sox may end up without a star shortstop.
According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the Arizona Diamondbacks are among some of the most serious suitors for Bogaerts.
It sounds absolutely bizarre. The Diamondbacks have only been to the playoffs six times in their 25-year franchise history and have certainly not looked like contenders outside of their only World Series win in 2001.
Arizona general manager Mike Hazen does, however, have ties to Bogaerts that make the interest seem a little less random.
Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen has ties to Xander Bogaerts
Hazen worked in the Red Sox front office for the first three seasons of Bogaerts’ career in the majors. He wasn’t quite at the potential he is now, but he was starting to heat up right as Hazen was leaving.
Bogaerts went on to achieve many, many things in Boston when they needed him most. He was with the team for two World Series wins, he’s earned five Silver Sluggers, led shortstops in the league in batting average (.307) and on-base percentage (.377) in 2022 and was the only player on the Red Sox this past season to be nominated for a Gold Glove award.
Hazen first-hand watched Bogaerts grow into the player he is today, despite not being in Boston for a few years. A Massachusetts native, it makes sense that he’d be heavily interested in the star that the Red Sox aren’t fighting hard to keep around.
However, the fact that it’s the Diamondbacks coming up as contenders when there are several other teams that seem to be stronger suitors is certainly surprising.