Xander Bogaerts

The Boston Red Sox have been through such things as an 86-year championship drought, Chicken-and-Beer-Gate and Bobby Valentine's managing, so the phrase "low point" has no business being used in conjunction with the offseason they're having.

But "baffling point?" Or "befuddling point?" Now we're talking.

While other teams revel in their contributions to Major League Baseball's record-setting $3.5 billion offseason, the Red Sox are in a corner typically reserved for the Eeyores and Richie Tenenbaums of the world. Heavy losses will do that, and it feels like they've suffered even more of those this winter than they did during their pitiful 36-53 slide to last place in the American League East during the back half of the 2022 season.

Franchise shortstop Xander Bogaerts? He's gone to the San Diego Padres, and who can blame him? Especially now that, courtesy of ESPN's Joon Lee, it's out there that Boston set the stage for his exit with "a slap" of an initial offer.

Chaim Bloom has been re-living the Xander Bogaerts negotiations in his head

“There are a couple of regrets”

The decision to let Bogaerts walk have prompted questions about whether the ownership group is committed to winning

On the state of the Red Sox:https://t.co/RNDeKc92Bn

— Joon Lee (@joonlee) December 19, 2022

Fellow middle-of-the-lineup mainstay J.D. Martinez? He's now a Los Angeles Dodger. Lefty sidewinder Matt Strahm? A Philadelphia Phillie. Fellow hurlers Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Wacha and Rich Hill can still technically return to Beantown, but rumors of interest in each of them elsewhere don't bode well in the context of all of the above.

Even Boston's less painful departures still hurt in other ways. The designations for assignment of Eric Hosmer and Jeter Downs, specifically, leave the Red Sox with even less to show for trades involving young lefty Jay Groome and some guy named Mookie Betts.

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This Isn't for Lack of Trying (and That's Not a Compliment)

The ironic part is that the Red Sox's offseason actually started on a positive note.

They began dealing before the '22 season was even over, inking Enrique Hernández to a $10 million extension in September. An encouraging move on its own, and that much more so, given what chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told the versatile 31-year-old.

"I'm not going to say he promised me," Hernández said, "but he promised me that we're going to be way better next year."

So it went in October, when there was buzz about the Red Sox extending Bogaerts and adding much-needed power. And into November, wherein Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote that the Red Sox were showing a "strong willingness to spend." And even to earlier this month, when Bloom openly spoke of adding "seven, eight, nine, maybe more players."

It all sounded so good. And not even too good to be true, either.

Boston's projected 2023 payroll was at one point more than $80 million in average annual value short of next year's $233 million luxury-tax threshold. It's also not as if the Red Sox have been strangers to big spending in 20 years under John Henry, whose Fenway Sports Group empire is reportedly worth $9.8 billion.

And yet, here they are. Not just with a cringe-worthy list of departures but sans even one of the market's top-25 free agents or a single upgrade via the trade market. All because of hubris. Or maybe ignorance. Or some combination of the two.

It's all there in the Bogaerts saga. The supposed slap-like offer that Boston made him during spring training called for him to get another year and $30 million on top of the three years and $60 million he had remaining on his contract. At $90 million, the total guarantee was $50 million less than what the Red Sox had just given to Trevor Story.

Fast-forward to December, and Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reported Boston's final offer to be a whopping $120 million south of the $280 million he got from the Padres.

The Red Sox offer to Bogaerts was for 6 years and roughly $160M - a higher AAV (roughly $27M) than he got from SD ($25.5M), but with such a massive gap in term that it wasn’t close https://t.co/uqaU854bFu via @BostonGlobe

— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) December 8, 2022

Even at the time, Boston seemed guilty of misreading the market. It was apparent that it was going to be hotter than expected when relievers Rafael Montero and Robert Suárez signed above-market deals in November. Once Jacob deGrom, Trea Turner and Aaron Judge greeted the winter meetings with deals worth a combined $845 million, even more so.

Now there's no longer any need to speculate. This quote from Bogaerts' agent, Scott Boras, on the Red Sox to Lee speaks volumes: "I can only say that the market for Xander was very different from what their models said. But that's happened before."

It's easy to put this on Bloom, and not undeservedly so, given Boras' subsequent shade about Bloom's player evaluations being "very defined." Yet ample blame must also be set aside for Henry and co-owners Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino. Bloom is their guy, after all, and one wonders if his valuations are so strict because his budget is, too.

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What the Red Sox Have Done Isn't Nearly Good Enough

The Red Sox have, of course, not been totally derelict in their duty of improving the team.

Spotrac puts their free-agent spending at $73.2 million, which covers third baseman Justin Turner and relievers Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin and Joely Rodríguez. It's technically not counting Japanese star Masataka Yoshida, who inked a five-year, $90 million pact with Boston.

Heck of a lot of good it's done them, though. If FanGraphs' WAR projections for 2023 are any indication, the Red Sox are on track to be one of the AL's worst teams once again:

This right here highlights the major distinction between the Red Sox and other offseason losers like, say, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Though they've also suffered heavy losses while doing less than expected, they still project as a top-five team in the National League.

And this outlook might actually be too bullish on Boston, if for no other reason than it's contingent on the extremely unlikely possibility of the club getting 3.0 WAR from an older, more injury-prone Chris Sale.

There's likewise room for doubt as to whether Jansen will solidify Boston's bullpen from the top down. His reputation precedes him, but he's fresh off a career-high contact rate, and his slow tempo casts him as a bad fit for the upcoming pitch timer.

The Red Sox may therefore need their offense to do the heavy lifting in 2023, perhaps to a point where it'll need to be even better than the unit that finished fourth in the AL in scoring this past season.

This, also, is extremely unlikely.

The Red Sox will need Turner and Yoshida to be at least as good as Bogaerts and Martinez, who combined for a 127 wRC+ in 2022. Alas, the 38-year-old Turner is effectively an older and less powerful Martinez. And while Yoshida was a .326 hitter with decent power in Japan, seemingly nobody but the Red Sox believe he'll be an impact hitter in the majors.

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Good Luck Trying to Salvage This Offseason

The silver lining should be that the Red Sox still have ample time to salvage their offseason, but what they don't have in as much abundance as time is options.

The free-agent market, as noted, has largely been picked clean. That basically leaves the trade market, which Bloom identified as "a really good route to adding impact to our club" to Chad Jennings of The Athletic.

In the wake of Xander Bogaerts leaving for San Diego, the Red Sox are shifting their focus to the trade market.
“It’s something we are very, very actively exploring,” Chaim Bloom said. https://t.co/NNvb5Ejs6Q

— Chad Jennings (@chadjennings22) December 12, 2022

And yet, it's doubtful that slugging first base prospect Triston Casas and hard-throwing righty Brayan Bello are going anywhere while they're slated to be a part of the big club in 2023. One supposes there's always Bobby Dalbec and Jarren Duran, but they have "value" like Wally has a full set of fingers.

None of this necessarily helps Boston's leverage in trade talks. Nor does the fact that the club's predicament is an open secret. It's hard to imagine them getting a favorable deal on anyone, particularly not on guys like Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Bryan Reynolds (who wants out) and Cleveland Guardians shortstop Amed Rosario (who seems redundant).

Rather than miraculously acquiring immediate upgrades, the Red Sox's best hope for redeeming their offseason concerns Rafael Devers.

Ideally, the Red Sox will extend him before free agency calls his number after the 2023 season. The two-time All-Star third baseman is only 26 and thus a relatively safe bet for the kind of lifetime contract that's suddenly en vogue around MLB.

But since the word from Lee is that Devers and the Red Sox are "galaxies apart" in negotiations—and, boy, does that track right now— it's hard not to ponder if trading Devers is the more practical thing to do.

Even setting aside the galactic gulf in contract talks, there's logic in selling high on him now while he's riding high after slamming 65 home runs across 2021 and 2022. Perhaps he'll remain that guy in 2023, but there's always the possibility of him running afoul of injuries or ineffectiveness and losing value accordingly.

This, to be sure, is the nuclear option for what offseason the Red Sox have left to work with. But, hey, the fact that anyone can even have this thought is on them.

When you go from teasing the construction of a "way better" team to desperately trying to avoid becoming an even worse team, you've messed up.

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Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.

Xander Bogaerts reportedly felt disrespected by the Boston Red Sox before he chose to sign with the San Diego Padres on an 11-year, $280 million deal.

According to Joon Lee of ESPN, Bogaerts "would have seriously considered" a contract extension in the range of Trevor Story's six-year, $140 million pact that he signed with the Red Sox ahead of the 2022 campaign.

However, the American League East team instead offered him one more year and $30 million on top of the three years and $60 million he had remaining on his previous deal. Someone close to the shortstop said he interpreted that offer as "a slap."

That didn't stop him from thanking the fans:

Xander Bogaerts posted a farewell to Red Sox fans on Instagram pic.twitter.com/xrMYqr552a

— Joon Lee (@joonlee) December 19, 2022

It seems that Boston had a path to prevent Bogaerts from even hitting free agency at 30 years old. Lee explained the four-time All-Star wanted to remain with the Red Sox for his entire career and was even willing to move to second or third base down the line if necessary.

However, he did not want to accept a team-friendly deal just for the sake of staying put, and the Padres "significantly outbid Boston" after he hit free agency this offseason.

"There are a couple of regrets," Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said of the negotiation process with Bogaerts.

While Boston was not interested in signing Bogaerts to a massive deal that would have taken him into his late 30s, the calculus of his value changed during the 2022 campaign. He already had two World Series crowns, four Silver Sluggers and three All-Star selections on his resume, but he turned in one of the best years of his career ahead of free agency.

Bogaerts slashed .307/.377/.456 with 15 home runs and 73 RBI while posting five defensive runs saved above average with his glove, per FanGraphs.

His 5.8 wins above replacement total was second only to the 6.3 he posted in 2019, per Baseball Reference. He was a bright spot for a Red Sox team that otherwise sputtered on the way to a last-place finish in the American League East at 78-84.

Boston was one of the most disappointing teams in MLB after reaching the American League Championship Series the prior year.

Now Bogaerts joins a Padres team that already featured Juan Soto and Manny Machado and will get the suspended Fernando Tatís Jr. back during the season. The Padres are in World-Series-or-bust mode after reaching last season's National League Championship Series and made a splash with the addition of Bogaerts.

He may be extra motivated after feeling spurned by Boston.

The San Diego Padres denied rumors of a potential Fernando Tatis Jr. trade, saying it was "total BS" that the New York Yankees were calling about the shortstop, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Thursday.

ESPN's Buster Olney began the speculation Dec. 9 when he said on 95.7 The Game that the Yankees were "working on something big," apparently in reference to free-agent shortstop Carlos Correa.

On Monday, WFAN's Tiki and Tierney brought up the idea of Tatis joining the Yankees in a trade.

Last week, San Diego added another big-time shortstop in Xander Boegarts on an 11-year, $280 million deal, fueling the buzz that Tatis could be on his way out. The Padres, however, reportedly plan to keep the 2021 National League All-Star on their roster.

Jack Curry of YES Network also reported a Tatis trade was not ever considered by the Yankees:

Fernando Tatís Jr. to the Yankees?@JackCurryYES tells @boblorenz & @flash17yes: It's not something that is even on the Yankees' radar. #YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/RkHRAKSJqB

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) December 13, 2022

The Yankees would certainly love to add someone of Tatis' ability as they try to get over the top as a World Series contender.

Tatis finished in the top five of NL MVP voting in 2020 and 2021 and earned a Silver Slugger Award both years. In 2021, he led the NL with 42 home runs to go with 25 stolen bases and a .975 OPS.

He would be a significant upgrade over Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who hit four home runs with a .642 OPS last season.

Even with his talent, San Diego could look to move on from Tatis after he missed 2022. The 23-year-old suffered a broken wrist in the offseason and then was suspended 80 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. Several teammates voiced their displeasure with Tatis following the suspension.

The addition of Bogaerts could give the team a replacement at the position if it deals Tatis.

However, it seems the Padres want to stick with the young star and build a lasting contender.

Outfielder Bryan Reynolds requested a trade from the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier this offseason. The winter meeting came and went without a deal, but that doesn't mean that Reynolds will still be a Pirate when spring training begins.

For the Boston Red Sox—a team looking to climb out of the AL East basement—Reynolds would make a lot of sense.

Boston is open to working the trade market, especially after losing top free agent Xander Bogaerts to the San Diego Padres in free agency.

"I actually think the trade market could be a really good route to adding impact to our club," chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said, per The Athletic's Chad Jennings. "We are looking (into) a lot of significant moves there as long as we can do it in a way that isn't just robbing Peter to pay Paul, that's actually moving us forward in 2023 and giving us a chance to make a significant step forward from where we sit today."

A player who can help in 2023 and beyond? That's Reynolds. A 2021 All-Star, Reynolds will only turn 28 next month. He's also a financial fit for rebuilding Boston, as he'll remain arbitration-eligible through the 2025 season.

In 2023, Reynolds will carry a salary of only $6.8 million, according to Spotrac.

Naturally, Reynolds will want an extension at some point, but he would nevertheless come with three more years of team control.

Then, there's the fact that—according to Sean McAdam of the Boston Sports Journal—the Red Sox have already looked into adding outfield and offensive help.

"In need of offensive help, the Red Sox have, according to a source familiar with the talks, made inquires about first baseman/outfielder Garrett Cooper," McAdam wrote. "The Sox have an opening in the outfield, with Alex Verdugo and Kiké Hernandez set to cover two of the three outfield spots."

Reynolds could help round out the outfield group while providing a boost at the plate. He has hit 74 home runs and 239 RBI over the last four seasons. He finished 2022 with a .262 batting average, 27 home runs and 62 RBI.

While Reynolds was more impressive during his 2021 All-Star campaign (90 RBI, .302 average), these were still strong numbers for a player just entering his prime.

In a vacuum, Reynolds appears to be a perfect fit for Boston. The question, of course, is how much a trade will cost. This is where the idea of trading for the 27-year-old becomes a bit less desirable.

According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, a bargain trade package won't get a deal done:

"One rival official, in what surely was an exaggeration, said the Pirates want a '[Juan] Soto-type package' for Reynolds. Another said Reynolds is 'super expensive.' A third described him as 'unlikely to move.'"

Soto, for the record, was dealt along with Josh Bell from the Washington Nationals to the Padres in exchange for C. J. Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, Robert Hassell, James Wood, Jarlin Susana and Luke Voit.

While the Soto trade is an extreme comparison, the message is clear. Pittsburgh won't move Reynolds for a couple of draft picks and/or low-end prospects. The good news is that Boston has a farm system loaded with high-end talent.

Players like Ceddanne Rafaela, Nick Yorke and Bryan Mata could entice Pittsburgh—especially if Boston is willing to include a blue-chip prospect like Miguel Bleis or Marcelo Mayer.

The Red Sox would have to weigh the long-term potential of said prospects against their desire to turn things around this season. Ultimately, they might decide that Reynolds simply isn't worth what it would take to force Pittsburgh's hand.

However, Boston should at least inquire about Reynolds and come at the Pirates with serious intentions. The 2016 second-rounder has emerged as a bona fide rising star, and he checks just about every box Boston could hope to address in this offseason's trade market.

The Boston Red Sox lost their face of the franchise when shortstop Xander Bogaerts signed with the San Diego Padres last week. Rather than look to replace him with a free agent, the team might explore another avenue to improve its roster.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told The Athletic's Chad Jennings that the team is "very, very actively exploring" the trade market in the wake of Bogaerts' departure.

The Red Sox addressed some areas of need by signing closer Kenley Jansen and Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida. However, the team still has multiple holes to fill on its roster and Boston's front office has not spent big in free agency in recent years. Bloom acknowledged that the logical route for the franchise is to pursue trades.

"I actually think the trade market could be a really good route to adding impact to our club," Bloom said. "We are looking [into] a lot of significant moves there as long as we can do it in a way that isn't just robbing Peter to pay Paul, that's actually moving us forward in 2023 and giving us a chance to make a significant step forward from where we sit today."

Per Jennings, the Red Sox "still have a glaring need for a right-handed hitter and an ongoing desire to add a starting pitcher." The team has a deep farm system that Bloom said he hopes to keep intact for the future, but he added he's willing to give up some players for the right price.

"As I've said all along since getting here, we value being a consistent contender, and so guys that are in the pipeline are going to be a part of that in the years ahead, but what happens now matters," Bloom said. "And for the right impact, absolutely we would be willing to, and really look to, use that stockpile of prospects."

Jennings named Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Bryan Reynolds, St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Paul DeJong and Cleveland Guardians shortstop Amed Rosario as potential trade targets for Boston.

If the team looks internally to replace Bogaerts, it could move Trevor Story from second base back to shortstop, which was his original position during his six seasons with the Colorado Rockies.

"We're fortunate that we have multiple guys on this team that are really capable shortstops," Bloom said. "And that gives us a really good place to start from as we continue to work through the offseason and put the best club together that we can."

The Boston Red Sox reportedly were not willing to give shortstop Xander Bogaerts anywhere near the contract that the San Diego Padres were this offseason.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported the National League West team agreed to an 11-year, $280 million deal with Bogaerts on Wednesday night.

According to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, the Red Sox remained "really far" from that total and did not even reach the $200 million mark when it came to their offer.

This is another blow for Red Sox fans who watched their team trade Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers ahead of the 2020 campaign. ESPN's Buster Olney suggested the loss of both Betts and Bogaerts means the team will likely have to overpay for Rafael Devers to avoid losing a third franchise cornerstone.

Devers is under contract through the 2023 season.

Boston's loss is San Diego's gain, as Bogaerts was one of the main free-agency prizes this offseason after slashing .307/.377/.456 with 15 home runs and 73 RBI last season. He can impact the game in a number of ways, including with his glove considering he posted a total of five defensive runs saved above average as well, per FanGraphs.

He played for the Red Sox from 2013 through 2022 and was a five-time Silver Slugger and four-time All-Star selection.

The team won the World Series in his rookie season and again in 2018, meaning he will be pursuing a third championship during his first season in the National League.

And that will be the expectation for a Padres squad that reached the National League Championship Series a season ago and has star power that includes Bogaerts, Juan Soto, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatís Jr. in the middle of one of the best lineups in all of baseball.

Battling the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West will not be easy for San Diego, but it also won't be easy for Red Sox fans to watch Bogaerts and Betts competing for a potential World Series run on other teams after they lost yet another star Wednesday.

Nobody can accuse the San Diego Padres of not going after a World Series title.

The National League West team made a major splash in free agency Wednesday night and agreed to an 11-year, $280 million contract with shortstop Xander Bogaerts, per ESPN's Jeff Passan. That means the Padres' formidable lineup will include Bogaerts, Juan Soto, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatís Jr.

According to Spotrac, the team now has an active total payroll of just under $147 million for 2023 and a projected total payroll of $203.9 million.

Here is a look at MLB Network's projected lineup for the team:

Thoughts? 👀 pic.twitter.com/vafwxCj6bl

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 8, 2022

San Diego has been nothing if not aggressive this offseason, as Passan noted it also pursued Aaron Judge before he re-signed with the New York Yankees and Trea Turner before he joined the Philadelphia Phillies.

Going after big-name players may be necessary to compete in a National League West that also includes the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants, the latter of which was largely seen as New York's biggest competition when it came to landing Judge this offseason.

Bogaerts is more than just a consolation prize, though, and has a resume that includes two World Series titles, four All-Star selections and five Silver Sluggers from his time on the Boston Red Sox.

The 30-year-old slashed .307/.377/.456 with 15 home runs and 73 RBI last season while posting a total of five defensive runs saved above average, per FanGraphs.

There was some discussion about Bogaerts potentially moving off shortstop this offseason, with Mark Feinsand of MLB.com going as far as to report the Chicago Cubs were looking to sign both him and Dansby Swanson and explore such a move, but the defensive metrics at shortstop suggest he can stay there for the Padres.

San Diego reached the National League Championship Series last season even though Tatís was suspended for the playoffs. Now it will have Tatís back for the stretch run of 2023 and Bogaerts in the lineup alongside him, which is a daunting prospect for opposing pitching staffs.

It is World Series or bust for the Padres at this point.

The San Diego Padres have landed one of the best shortstops in Major League Baseball after agreeing to a deal with Xander Bogaerts.

Per Jeff Passan of ESPN, Bogaerts signed an 11-year, $280 million contract with the Padres, adding another superstar to their already loaded infield in the process.

Shortstop Xander Bogaerts and the San Diego Padres are in agreement on an 11-year, $280 million contract, a source familiar with the deal tells ESPN. A monster contract and the Padres, after missing Trea Turner and Aaron Judge, get the longtime Red Sox shortstop.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 8, 2022

The Red Sox added to their crowded middle infield last offseason by signing Trevor Story to a six-year contract. He shifted to second base because of Bogaerts, but this move allows to back to shortstop.

Story has been a disappointment so far in Boston. The two-time All-Star posted a career-low .737 OPS in an injury-plagued 2022 campaign that was limited to 94 games.

Bogaerts has been terrific at the plate over the previous five seasons for Boston. He posted a career-high .883 OPS in 2018 only to exceed that mark with a .939 OPS the following year. He also recorded new career bests in home runs (33) and doubles (52) in 2019.

The 2020 season wasn't quite up to those standards, but he hit .300/.364/.502 with 11 homers in 56 games. He was one of the few bright spots for a Red Sox team that finished last in the AL East with a 24-36 record.

Things went much better for Boston in 2021, finishing with a 92-70 record. Bogaerts was one of the key anchors for the offense with an .863 OPS and 23 homers in 144 games. He hit .307/.377/.456 with 15 homers in 150 games during the 2022 campaign.

The Red Sox signed him to a six-year, $120 million contract extension in April 2019 that included an opt out after 2022.

Bogaerts' struggles in the field—his minus-26 defensive runs saved from 2018-22 ranks last out of 19 qualified shortstops, according to FanGraphs—do open up the strong possibility that he might have to move off the position soon.

Bogaerts joins an infield that is as star-filled as any in baseball; third baseman Manny Machado and shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. remain elite hitters and fielders, although there are plenty of question marks about how Tatis will fare after an injury-plagued 2022 campaign and after his 80-game suspension for violating MLB's performance-enhancing drug policy. On top of that, shortstop Ha-Seong Kim emerged as one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball, creating a potential logjam on the left side of the infield.

However, with another big name joining the fold, it's hard to think the Padres won't figure things out heading into the season and will enter 2023 as early favorites to make a deep playoff run.

The San Francisco Giants might have missed out on Aaron Judge, but they still have plenty of chances to make this a consequential offseason.

Judge is returning to the New York Yankees after agreeing to a nine-year, $360 million contract, per multiple reports.

After failing to reel in the biggest fish on the market, the Giants seem poised to look toward one of the best shortstops available.

The next step for the Giants is to dive into the shortstop market, with Carlos Correa at the top of their list. They've pushed hard for another starting pitcher in recent days and still want one more outfielder.

— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) December 7, 2022

The dominos will start toppling now that Judge had made his decision. Giants will pivot to the shortstop market and cause action there. Red Sox have slow-played their hand on Bogaerts so far. Will ownership now step up? No doors have closed.

— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) December 7, 2022

Trea Turner is off the board after reportedly agreeing to an 11-year, $300 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, but that still leaves Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson.

Correa is not only the best of the three, but he would also carry the most symbolism for San Francisco.

The Giants targeted Bryce Harper before he landed in Philadelphia. They were linked last offseason with Marcus Semien, who signed with the Texas Rangers. If they're unable to seal the deal with both Judge and Correa, then it would further the perception the franchise simply isn't a marquee destination for free agents.

Losing out on Judge stings, but adding a two-time All-Star who hit 22 home runs with a .291/.366/.467 slash line in 2022 would be a great consolation prize.

Bogaerts, meanwhile, has been one of the most consistent shortstops in baseball over the last few years. Since 2018, he has an .880 OPS and a 133 OPS+, per Baseball Reference. His 22.4 WAR over that span also ranks fourth at the position on FanGraphs.

San Francisco agreed to a three-year, $43.5 million deal with Mitch Haniger, per ESPN's Jeff Passan. Assuming the front office is still looking for another outfielder, it could look toward Andrew Benintendi or Brandon Nimmo.

Benintendi set career highs in batting average (.304) and on-base percentage (.373) in 2022, explaining to The Athletic's Eno Sarris and Zach Buchanan how he changed his approach at the plate.

"My approach right now is realizing I’m not going to hit 35 homers," he said. "It’s getting on base, be a tough out, see pitches, use the whole field. This year, it’s finally come together."

Nimmo would offer more power—16 homers in 2022 and a .441 career slugging percentage—but he has made 100-plus appearances just twice since becoming a full-time regular in 2017.

Benintendi might be the safer of the two options, albeit with a lower ceiling.

Looking to the pitching staff, the Giants need to replace their ace, with NBC Sports Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic reporting they "do not expect" to re-sign Carlos Rodón.

Although Rodón remains unsigned, the starter market is quickly drying up. Nathan Eovaldi and Chris Bassitt are two of the best still available, and neither projects as a true No. 1 option. Corey Kluber, likewise, bounced back nicely in 2021 and 2022 but will be 37 in April.

Noah Syndergaard is a bit of a buyer beware signing, too. The 2016 All-Star had a 3.94 ERA with the Phillies and Los Angeles Angels but averaged just 6.3 strikeouts per nine innings in his first full year back from Tommy John surgery.

Sean Manaea would give the Giants another lefty in the rotation, and you can reasonably assume his 4.96 ERA in 2022—a full run higher than his ERA in six years with the Oakland Athletics (3.86) was a bit of an outlier.

Whatever happens with the Giants from here, one thing is clear from their pursuit of Judge: Ownership gave the front office the green light to spend.