Red Sox Announce Xander Bogaerts' Six-Year Contract Extension
BOSTON (CBS) -- It's official: Xander Bogaerts will call Boston his home for at least the next seven years.
The Red Sox have officially announced their six-year contract extension with the shortstop, which will run through the 2025 season and includes a vesting option for the 2026 season. Bogaerts reportedly has an opt-out clause in the deal following the 2022 season.
President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski made the announcement on Monday, and he and Bogaerts will chat with reporters about the new deal later this afternoon before the Red Sox start a four-game series with the A's in Oakland.
Added to the one-year, $12 million deal Bogaerts agreed to earlier this offseason to avoid arbitration, the 26-year-old is now on the books in Boston for seven years and $132 million. Bogaerts signed with the Red Sox organization as an international free agent in 2009, and has hit .283with 75 home runs, 177 doubles, 14 triples, and 387 RBIs since making his Major League debut at the age of 20 in 2013.
Bogaerts hit .288 last year and set career bests with 23 homers and 103 RBIs. He has started each of Boston's last 29 postseason games, and is the only player that was on the Red Sox' active World Series roster in both 2013 and 2018.
It's a bit surprising that Bogaerts would forgo free agency this offseason, especially with Scott Boras as his agent. But the Red Sox identified Bogaerts as a key part of their future -- a solid shortstop who can hit in the heart of their order -- and were able to get the deal done before other teams could enter the mix.
