WEEI’s Evan Drellich reports that the Red Sox and shortstop Xander Bogaerts are close to an agreement on a contract extension. Per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, it will be a six-year, $120 million contract that begins next season.
Bogaerts, 26, avoided arbitration in his third and final year of eligibility, agreeing to a $12 million salary for the 2019 season with the Red Sox. He was set to test free agency after the season. Once the agreement is finalized, Bogaerts will join starter Chris Sale as Red Sox players to have signed extensions this month.
Over parts of seven seasons, Bogaerts has hit .283/.342/.429 with 75 home runs, 387 RBI, 433 runs scored, and 49 stolen bases across 3,245 plate appearances.
In November, ESPN’s David Schoenfield ranked the to-be free agents for the next offseason. Of his top-10, Nolan Arenado, Sale, Bogaerts, Paul Goldschmidt, and Justin Verlander have since signed extensions. One of many reasons why the free agent market has stagnated in recent years.
