BOSTON — The announcement was made on television a little after 5:30 p.m. Sunday: Shortstop Xander Bogaerts had been named to the American League All-Star team and would be traveling to Dodger Stadium next week with Red Sox teammate Rafael Devers.
A little over two hours later, in the bottom of the second inning of Boston’s nationally televised series finale against the Yankees at Fenway Park, Bogaerts came to bat. The Red Sox would wind up rolling to a festive, take-that 11-6 victory over the Bombers on this breezy Sunday night, but as they took their cuts in the second inning they were trailing 4-0. This might have been a good time, then, for Red Sox management to reignite the crowd by announcing that for the fourth time in his career Bogaerts had been named to the All-Star team.
But no. The introduction was boilerplate, something along the lines of, “Leading off for the Red Sox, the shortstop, Xander Bogaerts,” and the sellout crowd applauded appreciably.
In response to a text from me asking if the Red Sox considered announcing that Bogaerts is heading to the freakin’ All-Star Game, a spokesperson replied that the way it was handled was “consistent with years past.” And that’s fine … except for the fact that if the Red Sox were wedded to doing things that are consistent with years past they’d still be looking for their first World Series championship since 1918.
It’s not like the people who are in charge of these things for the Red Sox had to make a trumpets-a-blarin’, shouting-from-the-treetops, Charlton Heston-delivering-the-Ten-Commandments-in-VistaVision announcement about Bogie making the All-Star Game. A simple acknowledgment would have sufficed.
This is Xander Bogaerts. So much as the Red Sox have a player who is their public face, he is that player. Bogaerts was 20 years old when he debuted with the Red Sox on Aug. 20, 2013, and just two months later he was playing in the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Save for a stretch in 2014 when the Sox moved him to third base, he’s been a fixture at shortstop ever since. As in, playing more games at shortstop than anyone in Red Sox history — more than Nomar Garciaparra, more than Rico Petrocelli, more than the sainted Jonny Pesky and, yes, more than Everett Scott, the World War I-era Sox star who held the record for more than a century.
Bogaerts has played on two World Series winners and has received MVP votes in each of the last four seasons. He’s now a four-time All-Star. He’s got a .311/.389/.449 slash line this season, and though his power numbers are down (seven homers), he does have some pop, with 148 career dingers.
This is where it gets tricky. He’s signed for $20 million a year through 2025, but he can opt out after this season. The Sox could trade him if they fall out of the playoff hunt, but since that’s not likely let’s focus on the opting-out business. The Sox already have their possible next shortstop in Trevor Story, signed as a free agent during spring training and currently playing second. He and Bogaerts look good together, but don’t blink or you might open your eyes and discover that Bogie has moved on. Maybe to the Yankees, who, by the way, are where Everett Scott wound up.
Speaking with the media after the game, Bogaerts delivered nothing but diplomacy about being named an All-Star.
“Obviously, it’s a blessing,” he said. “Every player would want to participate in one in their career. … I feel like experiencing those great occasions is special.”
He was happy to point out that he’ll be making the trip with Devers, his left-side buddy in the Red Sox infield. But, said Bogaerts: “There’s a lot of guys in here who deserve to go. To be honest, there are at least five guys, for sure, that are deserving of going.”
Inevitably,…
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