Boston Red Sox: What Xander Bogaerts signing means for team

The Boston Red Sox made headlines on Sunday by signing Xander Bogaerts to a multi-year extension. The question is how does this affect the rest of the team?

The 2019 MLB season hasn’t been great for the Boston Red Sox. A 1-3 start wasn’t exactly what the defending World Series champions were expecting.

Now the team finally has something to boast about. On Sunday it was reported that Xander Bogaerts and the Red Sox had reached a long term extension.

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Bogaerts was on the last year of his deal. If it expired I wouldn’t have been surprised to see him walk. There is plenty of money to be made in free agency.

Now the shortstop has a great deal. It appears he will be with the team through 2025 and will make $132 million. Yet again a MLB player gets a major payday.

Bogaerts is definitely worth the investment. Last season was the best of his career. Bogaerts racked up 23 home runs, 103 RBIs, and had a .288 batting average. He was one of the Boston Red Sox’s best offensive powers.

Now these leaves the Red Sox in an interesting spot. The team has proven over the last few weeks that they are willing to reward players who perform well for the team.

Before Bogaerts, Chris Sale inked a new deal worth $145 million. It is clear the team isn’t afraid to break out the checkbook.

Mookie isn’t going anywhere

This move makes me think that Mookie Betts isn’t going anywhere. Yes, I know that the Red Sox have spent a lot recently, but it would be a colossal mistake if they lost Mookie Betts.

There may be riots in the streets. It is clear that Betts is one of the top players in the league. You do everything to keep him on your roster. Whatever he wants, you pay him.

Last season Betts balled out. He was the MVP and had an incredible batting average of .346. If Betts ends up on a different team you are basically telling the fanbase you don’t care about winning.

It just seems like the Boston Red Sox have to sign Betts at this point. How do you sign Xander Bogaerts but not Mookie Betts? That just doesn’t make any sense.

So all in all this is great news for Boston Red Sox fans. Xander Bogaerts is staying with the team and it seems more likely that Mookie Betts stays as well.