The Red Sox have a cornerstone-sized void to fill with shortstop Xander Bogaerts reportedly leaving Boston for the San Diego Padres on an 11-year deal.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said this season that the company’s no. Bogaards, who revealed 1 preference, are said to earn. $280 million over those 11 seasons. That’s quite a financial commitment for the 30-year-old infielder. Boston’s Plan A will dismantle the Red Sox’s Plans B, C and D toward the National League West. They try to compete In an incredibly deep American League East.
The rest is there Options in the open market For the Red Sox. Carlos Correa and Donsby Swanson are still two of the top four shortstops entering free agency. There are other lesser known players at the position. But the Red Sox should stay away from outside additions, and they will Internal options are available To fill the role of Bogarts.
The Red Sox have claimed both two-time Major League Baseball All-Star shortstop Trevor Story and versatile Kike Hernandez. can Play the position. For Story, the possibility of him moving back from second base to shortstop was a possible outcome after the Red Sox signed him to a six-year, $140 million deal last offseason. Story spent his first six seasons playing shortstop for the Colorado Rockies and posted a .979 fielding percentage, though his arm strength in the hole meant a move to second base made sense. Hernandez, on the other hand, has 64 career starts at shortstop with a similar .978 fielding percentage.
Of course, moving Story or Hernandez would fill one hole and create another. If the Red Sox prove to be the way things go, Boston will then have to find a new everyday second baseman or center fielder, depending on the move. Those positions lacked a whole lot of depth on the open market with center field centered by Brandon Nimmo and Kevin Kiermaier and second base highlighted by Gene Segura and Adam Frazier. Trade for an outfielder (Maybe Brian Reynolds?) is not off the table either.
Christian Arroyo is a hypothetical option to take the bag at second base if Story were to move to shortstop, which seems like a more likely infield scenario. The 27-year-old Arroyo, who impressed during the lineup, hasn’t proved too reliable due to injuries. Fellow infielder Jeter Downs made his MLB debut for the Red Sox last season and played in 14 games, spending 56 innings (eight games) at second base. Downs has the potential to complement Arroyo at the position, though it will be difficult to bring the same pop to the lineup. That offensive output can only be external.
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