Xander Bogaerts Signs Monster 11 Year Contract With Padres And Leaves Red Sox In A State Of Disaster
First Mookie, now Xander.
Chaim Bloom has let yet another home-grown former World Series champion and four-time All-Star walk out the door. At least when Mookie was traded away in one of the worst deals in recent memory, the Red Sox got a starting outfielder back. Mookie Betts is obviously a better player than Xander Bogaerts, this is a worse development because it establishes a trend. Rafael Devers is waiting in the wings watching another great teammate leave.
I don't understand how the Red Sox are going to be able to sell this to their fanbase. They did just sign Masataka Yoshida out of Japan today who could be a very good player but that's a big unknown sell when they just lost the shortstop for the last decade who won two rings. Red Sox fans didn't like Chaim Bloom very much before today but the anger was nowhere near Dan Duquette levels before he was fired in Spring Training of 2003. I'm betting that changes soon. People should be pissed off about this. Remember, the Red Sox RAISED season ticket pricing for next year.
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How much of this is even Bloom's fault? Is this being dictated from above? There seems to be a franchise sentiment of late to get away from superstars. I know some Red Sox fans will shout how they just signed Trevor Story like he is some elite player when he's never hit well outside of Coors Field. Trevor Story is much closer to Rich Aurilia than he is to Xander Bogaerts.
I don't know where the Red Sox go from here. They came into this off-season needing to make moves to escape last place and be competitive in a tough division. Instead, they have gotten worse. Nathan Eovaldi and Michael Wacha have yet to be replaced in a pitching staff that was already shitty with them. The DH position remains unfilled and now they also need to find an infield bat to make up for Bogaerts. I assume Story will move over to shortstop and they will look for a second baseman?
This Red Sox team really is a fucking mess. Even more so when you see how much money they are spending for this sea of mediocrity It's not that they cheap, it's that they are inept. Teams like the Padres, Mets and Phillies are prioritizing great players while the Red Sox pay above the luxury tax but have such little talent to show for it. It's almost like they intentionally want average players while great ones, like the last link to the 2013 World Series champs, go elsewhere.