Xander Bogaerts officially opts out of his contract with the Boston Red Sox, officially becomes a free agent
Xander Bogaerts has officially opted out of his contract with the Boston Red Sox. The All-Star shortstop is officially a free agent for the first time in his big league career.
Bogaerts will walk away from the final three years of his six-year, $120 million deal.
The Aruba native is coming off a season where he hit .307 with 15 home runs, 73 RBIs, 171 hits, 38 doubles and am .833 OPS.
With Bogaerts opting for free agency, it doesn’t mean his time with the Red Sox is completely over. The club has made it clear that Bogaerts is the team’s No. 1 priority.
The 30-year-old told the Boston Globe that he hopes to be back with the Red Sox but understands it’s a business.
“This is is all I know,” he said. “I’m very very thankful for everyone that has helped me be the player I am today. The Red Sox, obviously, for allowing me to make my big league debut, giving me my extension. Arbitration years.
“They have blessed me and my family in that aspect and also blessed me with really good teammates. But this is the business part of it, and I have never been in this situation before, so we’ll see what happens.”
Xander Bogaerts on the Red Sox: ‘They have money’
Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom has stated in the past the organization wants Bogaerts to be with the team for a long time.
“Our position has been the same,” Bloom said. “We want to keep him here for a long time. We want him here on a deal that we can look back and say this is great for everyone. We just got to the end of one of those in J.D. Martinez. I think everybody can say that deal worked out for everybody involved. We want to build around him and win with him.”
Bogaerts is now a free agent and will be able to sign with any team in the league. The ball is now officially in the Red Sox court and the fanbase will now see if Bogaerts is truly their No. 1 priority.
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So when do the five days that the Sox can negotiate with him start ?