Felger and Mazz: Why Xander Bogaerts likely won’t be back with the Red Sox

Mike Felger and Tony Massarotti believe that Xander Bogaerts likely won't be back with the Red Sox this coming season.

TRANSCRIPT

Felger: Two sources said Sunday that Bogart's has been meeting in person with teams this weekend ahead of the winter meetings and that the Sox have not made their All-Star shortstop a competitive offer. The Phillies, Cubs, Dodgers and Padres are among the 8 to 11 teams with interest in Bogart's chief baseball officer. Chaim Bloom did not have the Sox position in that group as of Sunday afternoon. Bogart's says Abraham is hopeful the Sox will step up their interest, but has been impressed with the pitches made by other teams. So what are your thoughts at this hour?

Mazz: He's gone. He's gone. I still think he's gone. And that part about they haven't made a competitive offer, like, oh, you got the Red Sox out there on more than one occasion saying we've sweetened the offer and as you pointed out, sweetened. Yeah, right. Not like, you know, as if we just had a little more sugar to it. That's it. That's the extent I think he's gone. And, you know, there are accompanying stories to this. So I'm going to bring in Jimmy Stewart here. Didn't your team, the Brewers, just trade Kolten Wong the second base?

Mazz: Okay, Jimmy, what can you tell me about the Kolten Wong deal?

Stewart: Kolten Wong was traded to the Seattle Mariners and I believe that the Red Sox were in on Kolten Wong. So that indicates to me that the Red Sox are looking for a second baseman because Trevor Story is going to play shortstop this year for.

Felger: The Boston Red Sox. Was it reported that they were in on Wong?

Stewart: I believe that they were in on.

Felger: That's Jimmy's Phone, which is even better. It's better than anything you read on the Internet.

Mazz: Absolutely.

Felger: Okay. So again. Go ahead, Jimmy. I'm sorry.

Stewart: And by the way, Trey Turner just got 11 years and 300 million from the Philadelphia Phillies. Wow.

Felger: Well, that's interesting. That was a team that was in on Bogaerts.

Mazz: But 11 years and 300 and a....

Stewart: Full no trade clause.

Felger: Wow.

Felger: Yeah, he's a little younger. A lot of people really like Turner. You know, Turner runs, too. There's a lot to like in his game. He's a good player. He had 21 home runs, 100 RBI last year, and he stole 27 basis. So Turner's good. I mean you know I got no issue with teams want Turner and if you said you lose the Red Sox and they got Turner you lose Bogart's and they get Turner yeah, fine. No problem. I just think that this thing's a foregone conclusion. And again, I go back to the whole timeline. You offered them one year in the spring. One more year on top of the three he had, which brought it to four and 93. Turner just signed for 11 and 300. So you tell me, did Bogart's make the right move? Opting out?

Felger: I also noted this mass over the weekend. I saw that the Red Sox added Chris Martin, the reliever from the Dodgers, along those same lines. They were trying to add another pitcher the same day on Friday, reading from Alex Sparrow over the weekend, the Red Sox believe they were about to add a starting pitcher to the rotation on Thursday. They had negotiated a three year $40 million deal with Zach Eflin, 28 year old right hander with the Phillies, parts of seven years with the Phillies. But according to a major league source. Eflin, who lives in Orlando, Florida, reached out to the Rays to see if they would match the offer. They did so. Eflin reached an agreement with Tampa for the same three years and 40 million to head home. Correct. The Red Sox were not given further opportunity to negotiate. So like kicking the hog.