Bogaerts won’t overreact
Focused on ’19, not free agency
FORT MYERS — Whatever’s going on in the free agent world is separate from the feelings of those inside the Red Sox locker room.
RED SOX NOTEBOOK
The Sox have a handful of key players eligible for free agency after this season,
including Chris Sale, Xander Bogaerts, Rick Porcello, Brock
Holt and J.D. Martinez (who can opt out), and more,
including Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr., who are eligible after 2020.
But one day after Betts was preaching patience as it pertains to his outlook on pending free agency, noting, “When you start rushing into things, that’s when you get some deals that may not be the right ones,” Bogaerts was similarly not overreacting to MLB’s free agent issues this season.
“Who knows? Next winter, the teams can go overpay for everyone,” Bogaerts said yesterday. “I don’t know why it’s like this. I don’t know. But obviously, Boston is a place I enjoy playing.”
Meanwhile, the Yankees reportedly came to an agreement with their ace, Luis Severino, on a four-year extension worth $40 million that buys out all four of his arbitration seasons (he’s a Super Two player) and provides the Yankees with a $15-million option for his first free agent season.
That came shortly after the Phillies locked up ace
Aaron Nola to a four-year, $45-million deal buying out two of his free agent seasons and the Twins came to longterm agreements with both
Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler.
This is the time of year when most contract extensions tend to be worked out, though the sudden run of agreements could signal the players’ distrust in the system while Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Craig Kimbrel and other top free agents remain unsigned.
“You obviously have to think about that,” Bogaerts said. “We’re all baseball players and want to do well and take care of our family in the future. But those are big names man, big names that came into this year hoping, and everybody was expecting, to get all this money and stuff like that. Those are the main free agents still out there so you just don’t understand how it happens like that. I don’t know if they have any offers or what, I don’t know. But it’s not nice that those two big guys don’t have deals yet.”
Bogaerts was signed by the Sox along with his brother, Jair, as teenagers out of Aruba.
“The Red Sox have obviously treated me well throughout my whole career, me and my family,” he said. “I see how they treat all the guys that come in. and being here for a while, I think it’s a place anyone and everyone might want to play or stay.
“My preference? Boston is an amazing city man. All the sports here, all they do is win. Winning is one of the main keys for any player and for me. I enjoy winning in everything I do on and off the field. If winning is priority, then why not?”
Cora high on SS
Bogaerts had a career year in 2018, but manager Alex
Cora thinks he can be even better in 2019.
“Baserunning-wise, he didn’t run as much last year,” Cora said. “I think he’s one of our better baserunners. From first to third, scoring from first, but he can actually steal bases.
“Defensively, the way he played in the World Series, that’s the guy I want to see on a daily basis. Actually there was a play early in the playoffs that he took his time on. Ball in the hole, the guy was safe, and I think they scored a few runs out of that. Then he made every play. Every play. Turned double plays, balls in the hole and I think defensively he can be a lot better. I’m not going to numbers and all that because with him it will never be fair, I think as far as like metrics. We want him to make the routine play, but there’s also a few plays that we feel he can make, especially in the hole, and we’re going to push him to do that.”
Looking for depth
The Red Sox know who their five starters are, but they’re using spring training to sort out their depth options behind those five.
There are no top prospects near major-league ready in the high minors, but
Hector Velazquez and Brian Johnson each made starts last year in addition to having more steady roles in the bullpen. “We’ve got the whole spring for that,” Cora said. “I think early is probably one or two innings and then with spring going, we’ll stretch them out and see how it goes and we’ll see where we at and we’ll make decisions later on in spring.”
Velazquez was working on throwing his four-seam fastball up in the zone this offseason, Cora said.
“It finishes and he can separate his other pitches from that fastball,” he said. “He did a good job as a starter. We used him in some highleverage situations late in games and he got people out. One thing about Hector, he can pitch. He’s not afraid either. It will be interesting for him how camp goes. He was a big part of what we did last year and we expect big thing out of him.” Knuckleballer Steven
Wright, still battling knee issues, did not participate in fielding drills on Thursday. He’s not being stretched out and will be strictly a reliever.