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Boston Red Sox infielder Xander Bogaerts has become one of the most sought-after free agents of the 2022 MLB offseason. There is a lot of speculation throughout the baseball world regarding who he will sign with next, and for how much.
Bogaerts did not have the traditional ascension that most players have to the big leagues. Having grown up on the Dutch island of Aruba in the Caribbean, North American scouts noticed him from an early age.
In fact, his skill was so poignant that he signed with the Red Sox as a 16-year old in 2009. However, he did not make his Red Sox debut until 2013, the year the team triumphed over the St. Louis Cardinals to win the World Series.
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Bogaerts hit two RBIs in the 2013 World Series and was able to gain valuable experience from veterans like Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz.
"Xander Bogaerts leaves the game to a standing ovation, it could be his last game in a Red Sox uniform." - @ Boston Strong
Over the next nine seasons in Boston, Bogaerts solidified his reputation as a speedy leadoff man who could get on base. Of his 10 seasons on the Red Sox, he would hit over .290 in six of them.
In November 2022, Bogaerts opted out of the final three years of his contract, rendering himself a free agent. He has assumed free agent status for the first time since signing with Boston as a 16-year old.
Several teams are rumored to be interested, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies.
Predicting contracts is never an easy business. However, it looks likely that whoever nails down Xander Bogaerts will be looking to do so on a long-term basis. This means that the minimum amount of time Bogaerts will be signed for will likely be five years, although it is much more likely to be six or seven, maybe even eight.
"Fangraphs takes a stab at what a potential Xander Bogaerts contract could look like" - @ Boston Sports Gordo
As for salary, his annual value has been steadily in the range of $25-30, placing the total value of the contract somewhere in the $150-200 million range.
Xander Bogaerts likely wanted a change of scenery
The Boston Red Sox are slowly becoming a third-rate team. Hitting, pitching and managerial efficacy just were not there in the 2022 season.
Xander Bogaerts won a World Series as a youngster, and now likely wants to be an integral part of a championship team. He has the leverage to make it happen ahead of next season.
