Aaron Judge, Yankees take note: Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox are open to in-season contract talks

Both Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts (left) and New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) are looking for nine-figure contract extensions.
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The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox feel each other’s pain.

Aaron Judge, the face of the Yankees franchise, could walk as a free agent after the season.

Xander Bogaerts, the face of Red Sox Nation, could opt out of his contract and walk as well.

Both hoped new deals would have been done before Opening Day and both shut down contract talks once the season started.

But Bogaerts, it appears, is leaving himself a little wiggle room, based on what he told the Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham on Sunday:

“I don’t know how this would work. But if they talk to Scott (Boras) behind closed doors and it’s something that’s fair, he can come to me,” Bogaerts said. “We’ll see how that goes.”

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The Red Sox insist re-signing Bogaerts is a priority, despite putting a low-ball offer on the table before Opening Day (added one year and $30 million to his current deal). Bogaerts is entering the third year of a six-year, $120 million contract as the shortstop market explodes, with Corey Seager (10 years, $325 million), Marcus Semien (seven years, $175 million), Javier Baez (six years, $140 million) and Carlos Correa (three years, $105.3 million) signing massive deals this winter.

And don’t forget the Red Sox landed Trevor Story (six years, $140 million) to play second base (although he could move back to shortstop if Bogaerts leaves).

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Is Bogaerts worth a massive contract extension? In a word, yes. The 29-year-old is a four-time Silver Slugger Award winner, three-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion. He currently leads the American League with a .344 batting average.

As for Judge and the Yankees, general manager Brian Cashman declined last week to talk about possible contract negotiations. But the 30-year-old Judge continues to make his case for a blockbuster extension, leading the majors this season with 12 home runs. He’s also third in MLB in slugging percentage (.632) and OPS (1.001).

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Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com.

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