Xander Bogaerts is the forgotten star of Boston

A.J Reilly: If I’m Bogaerts, I’m going to call their bluff and I’m going to say, listen, I’ve been a really good player. Hopefully, he doesn’t get hurt this year. Because if he gets hurt this year, then he’s stuck on this contract. But if I’m putting all my eggs into this 2022 season and going to bet on myself and be like, I made a lot of noise over my career. I’m a really good player. And. If you want to have me on your team next year, Boston Red Sox, then you’re going to have to sign me to a different contract because I’m opting out. I’m using my player opt-out and hopefully, it’ll get that cause he’s on a very team-friendly contract. It’s only costing the Red Sox, like 20 mil a year, which is, it sounds like a lot, but it’s…

Matt Bassin: it sounds like a lot!

A.J Reilly: So their overall payrolls, 152 total payroll, 195 million, only 20 million of that bogarts

Matt Bassin: right. And they just agreed that the contract with Story is paying him more than 20 million a year. He’s getting 140 over six.

A.J Reilly: They’re very similar players and they’re not bad.

It’s going to be interesting to see how Story transitions to second base, and maybe they have a good thing going for a few. You’re still, you said at JD Martinez on that team, you got Rafael Devers on that team.

Matt Bassin: They were in the world series two years ago.

A.J Reilly: They’re going to be a very good team and they’ve added a very good player, plus Trevor Story’s got that really short wall in left field.

Matt Bassin: Story played second base. He talked about it, a bunch coming up through high school and the minor league system and all that. He’s played second base. He’s not uncomfortable playing second base. It isn’t like asking him to play first. He never played first. This is him sliding over 45 feet, and playing a position that he’s played before.

And if you have something Ala, a Jeter, A-Rod shortstop, third situation, but instead of shortstop second, and you got. Great production out of this. I don’t see how the Red Sox don’t try to sign both and convince Story to play second, even though it’s not a natural position. And the red Sox had been in dire need of one since Dustin Pedroia went down, it’s really been a platoon system for the red Sox since Pedroia got hurt, but yeah, you’ve got two guys that can hit the ball.

Two guys with great defense. And one of these guys has been a fan favorite in Boston for years. He’s been on the radar. He hasn’t made a ton of noise, Pedroia was that, that little height man, captain, when he was there, obviously big poppy was big poppy, Zander Bogart, like you said, been there for a while, since 2013 and he’s just been steady Eddie. He has been at a really high level.

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