Things are not going well for the Boston Red Sox.
They’re going to have to get much worse in order for MLB insider Ken Rosenthal to believe that they would consider trading Xander Bogaerts.
The longtime Red Sox shortstop is likely to opt out of his contract this offseason, and thus far has not gotten an offer that would keep him in Boston even longer. So, as the Red Sox struggle to find wins early on this season, it’s fair (if a little premature) to wonder what Boston might do with Bogaerts.
Rosenthal explained on “The Athletic Baseball Show" podcast why he’s not convinced trading Bogaerts is something Chaim Bloom will entertain.
“Bogaerts is not really been the problem at all, he leads them in OPS, he’s 17th in the majors going into Sunday,” Rosenthal said (11:40 mark at player above). “But the question you raise would really only be relevant, in my opinion, if they’re out of it. That’s going to be difficult because, of course, with the expanded playoffs every team will have a greater chance.
“We’ve seen trades, on occasion, contenders helping contenders and vice versa, but those are difficult to pull off. Keep in mind, too, it’s not firmly decided yet that they will not get compensation if he does depart (in the offseason). … If there is no agreement (on an international draft by July 25th, which would get rid of the qualifying offer) and there still is a qualifying offer system, he would get slapped by the Red Sox with a QO, and that has a potential drag on his market. But it also from a Red Sox perspective ensures they would get some form of compensation, and that form would be a draft pick. …
“That’s kind of how I see it evolving, I want to see more of the season. But I would be really surprised if it got so dire for the Red Sox they would entertain trading Xander Bogaerts. I will say this: they need to make him a better offer than the one they did.”
If nothing else, the Red Sox falling apart and trading a franchise staple at the deadline after failed offseason contract negotiations would keep the Bogaerts situation in line with Jon Lester's in 2014.
Bloom is the man who ultimately traded Mookie Betts, so he’s no stranger to huge transactions. But as Rosenthal alludes to, the expanded postseason means far fewer teams will be out of the playoff picture in July. Considering the Red Sox are in win-now mode, being so far out that they’re trading Bogaerts would signal an enormous failure.
It’s also worth remembering that both sides have expressed a desire to get something done. Bogaerts hasn’t really changed course on that front publicly, but Boston’s lowball extension offer certainly didn’t do anything to move the two sides closer.
Related
LISTEN NOW on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram