Xander Bogaerts

The Boston Red Sox are already considering backup plans in case veteran shortstop Xander Bogaerts departs the club in free agency this winter.

They are exploring the market for a second baseman and have begun reaching out to teams to see who might be available, "hoping to figure out Plan B in the likely event" Bogaerts signs elsewhere, per MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.

"It doesn’t seem like they're going to spend big on a shortstop," a source told Feinsand. "They knew this was a possibility when they signed [Trevor] Story last year."

However, Sean McAdam of Boston Sports Journal reported last month that Red Sox owner John Henry and chairman Tom Werner had met with Bogaerts to reiterate that re-signing him is their "top priority."

Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom also said last month, per MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo:

"That's no different than where we've been. Our position hasn't changed on that. I've said this before, but nothing I say really matters unless there's a deal. But our position has been the same, that we want to keep him here for a long time and we want him here on a deal that we're going to look back on and say, 'This was great for everybody.'"

If Bogaerts exits in free agency, which opens Thursday, the Red Sox would reportedly move Story back to shortstop, his natural position. The 29-year-old played second base for Boston last season after signing a six-year, $140 million deal with the franchise.

Before joining the Red Sox, Story served as the Colorado Rockies' No. 1 shortstop for six seasons.

Seeking a lower-priced second baseman would make financial sense for the Red Sox, especially considering Bogaerts—one of the premier shortstops on the market this winter alongside Carlos Correa, Dansby Swanson and Trea Turner—should receive a significant raise from the $20 million per year he was earning in Boston.

However, seeing Bogaerts depart would be a tough blow for the Red Sox in more ways than one. The 30-year-old is the team's longest-tenured player and one of its biggest leaders in the locker room.

In addition, he is one of Boston's best hitters and is coming off a season in which he slashed .307/.377/.456 with 15 home runs, 73 RBI and eight stolen bases in 150 games. He hit .300 or better in three of the last four seasons.

Bogaerts has helped Boston win two World Series titles, has four Silver Slugger awards and has been named an All-Star four times over his 10-year career.

Losing that production would be devastating for a team that went 78-84 in 2022, finishing last in the AL East and missing the playoffs for the third time in the last four seasons.

It's unclear which second basemen the Red Sox might be targeting as a backup plan.

Xander Bogaerts will reportedly join the list of talented free-agent shortstops this offseason.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Boston Red Sox shortstop is "expected to opt out" of his deal. Heyman noted Carlos Correa is expected to do the same with the Minnesota Twins, which would mean the list of free-agent shortstops would include Correa, Bogaerts, Trea Turner and Dansby Swanson.

Heyman also noted the Red Sox would prefer to keep Bogaerts.

If the 30-year-old stayed locked into his deal, he would have been in line to make $20 million a year for the next four seasons until he was an unrestricted free agent after the 2026 campaign.

Even with the positional competition, he figures to receive what could be the last major deal of his career given his age. His resume includes two World Series titles, four All-Star selections and four Silver Sluggers.

He was excellent again in 2022 with a .307/.377/.456 slash line, 15 home runs and 73 RBI. He was a bright spot for a Red Sox team that finished in last place in the American League East.

There is some additional context for Boston when it comes to Bogaerts and Rafael Devers, who is scheduled for arbitration in 2023 and free agency in 2024. The high-profile team traded franchise cornerstone Mookie Betts after the 2019 season, and he proceeded to join the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Los Angeles won the 2020 World Series with Betts in the lineup.

Heyman previously reported "the mistake of trading Mookie Betts raises the urgency" for Boston when it comes to the Bogaerts and Devers decisions and appeasing a fanbase that is likely still upset with the previous decision and the poor finish in 2022.

The Red Sox will have to compete with other teams on the open market, though, as Bogaerts seems to be headed to free agency.

The Boston Red Sox's disappointing 2022 season is over, and the club will embark on a journey to keep star shortstop Xander Bogaerts in 2023 and beyond.

Red Sox management, including owner John Henry and chairman Tom Werner, has already begun that process, meeting with Bogaerts "several times" in the last week to express that retaining him is the club's "top priority," according to Sean McAdam of Boston Sports Journal.

The sides did not engage in actual contract discussions during these meetings, which were conducted without Bogaerts' agent, Scott Boras, per McAdam.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said this week, per McAdam:

"That's no different than where we've been. Our position hasn't changed on that. I've said this before, but nothing I say really matters unless there's a deal. But our position has been the same -- that we want to keep him here for a long time and we want him here on a deal that we're going to look back on and say, 'This was great for everybody.' ...We want to build around him and win.''

Bogaerts, who is widely expected to decline his $20 million player option for 2023, said last week that he hadn't "given any thought" about the opt-out and was going to wait until after the season to decide "what's best."

If he opts in, he would be under contract with the Red Sox through 2026 at $20 million per year, which is below market value for an elite shortstop.

Star shortstops Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor and Corey Seager all put pen to paper on deals worth at least $30 million annually over the last year. It's unclear if Bogaerts will receive a pact worth that much, but he will likely be offered more than $20 million per year on the open market.

Before the 2022 campaign began, the Red Sox offered Bogaerts a deal that would have paid him $90 million over four years, which would have replaced the final years of his current deal and run through 2026. One of his friends told Jon Heyman of the New York Post the offer was viewed as a "slap in the face."

While the Red Sox finished last in the AL East with a 78-84 record and missed the playoffs, Bogaerts had a solid season. He was one of Boston's best and most consistent hitters, slashing .307/.377/.456 with 15 home runs, 73 RBI and eight stolen bases in 150 games.

The 30-year-old has spent his entire 10-year career with the Red Sox, helping the team win two World Series titles and earning four All-Star selections and four Silver Slugger awards.

The BoSox have exclusive negotiating rights with Bogaerts until the end of the World Series. If the sides are unable to strike a deal, he can then begin negotiations with other franchises should he opt out.

If Bogaerts signs with another team, the Red Sox have a solid backup plan in Trevor Story, who can shift back to his natural position at shortstop from second base, but then they will be left with questions about who to play at second in 2023.