The Boston Red Sox lost Xander Bogaerts when they were outbid by the San Diego Padres, but they may be willing to spend big to replace the star shortstop.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported on Thursday that the Red Sox are “seriously considering” signing free-agent shortstop Dansby Swanson. The Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers are also in the mix.
Swanson is the last of the star shortstops remaining on the market. He is in a great position after his peers all landed massive deals. Carlos Correa got 13 years and $350 million from the San Francisco Giants. Trea Turner signed with the Philadelphia Phillies for $300 million over 11 years. Bogaerts signed an 11-year, $280 million deal with San Diego.
While Swanson probably will not get as much as the aforementioned shortstops, he is still in line for a massive contract. If the Red Sox are willing to give him one, why didn't they just pay a bit more to keep Bogaerts? It is possible Swanson’s camp is leaking information in an attempt to drive up the price.
Swanson, 28, is a career .255 hitter. He hit .277 with 25 home runs and 96 RBI with the Braves last season. Swanson played in all 162 games after appearing in 160 the year before.
The Red Sox signed Trevor Story last offseason as an insurance option in the event that they could not keep (or chose not to keep) Bogaerts. It seems unlikely that they will spend big on a shortstop, especially after they let Bogaerts walk and already made another big signing.
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