Could the New York Yankees pry one of the best players from the hated Boston Red Sox during MLB free agency?
If this report from ESPN’s Buster Olney is any indication, it’s a real possibility. The MLB insider reported on Wednesday that New York could very well end up signing Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts should reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge depart in free agency.
“[Bogaerts] has checked every box for what [the Yankees] have been veering toward the last few years: more contact, a guy that can put the ball in play, terrific leadership, great clubhouse guy,” Olney said recently.
There’s a lot of moving parts here. New York just recently increased its offer to Judge to somewhere around $300 million over eight years. The all-time single-season American League home run leader is drawing interest on multiple fronts. That included a visit with the San Francisco Giants in the Bay Area last week.
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New York Yankees’ interest in Xander Bogaerts is somewhat of a surprise
Two of New York’s top prospects in that of Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza are natural shortstops. The team also retains veteran Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
The organization’s top prospect, Volpe projects to be ready at some point during the 2023 season. He hit .249 with 21 homers and 65 RBI between Double-A and Triple-A a season ago. He’s seen as New York’s best middle infielder prospect since Derek Jeter eons ago.
Meanwhile, Peraza got a cup of coffee in the Majors this past season — hitting .306 while boasting an .832 OPS in 49 at-bats. Though, he has an ability to play second base. Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner just recently said that he wants to give the two a chance to start during the spring.
“In my opinion, they’re going to get a shot [to start in the Spring]. In March, I remember saying that they’re the middle infield of the Yankees in the future. That’s why we made some of the decisions in the offseason, as opposed to going out and getting a huge free agent. They both progressed really well this year,” New York Yankees’ Hal Steinbrenner.
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The Yankees’ interest in Bogaerts also comes with MLB insiders projecting them to be favored to land star shortstop Carlos Correa in free agency. It remains to be seen if New York’s interest in Correa is dependent on Judge leaving for another team in MLB free agency. Though, he might cost a bit less than Bogaerts on the open market based on their recent histories.
- Xander Bogaerts stats (2022): .307 average, 16 HR, 73 RBI, .833 OPS
- Carlos Correa stats (2022): .291 average, 22 HR, 64 RBI, .834 OPS
There’s also Bogaerts’ flexibility to be taken into account here. He has played third base at times throughout his MLB career. The same thing can’t be said about Correa. It’s in this that New York could opt to go with Peraza, Volpe and Bogaerts from second to third over the long-term.
All of that said, the New York Yankees’ top priority right now is to retain Aaron Judge. Should that come to fruition, they’ll likely be out of the market when it comes to top-end players in MLB free agency.