Rumor: Could SF Giants land Boston Red Sox star shortstop in free agency?

When it comes to rumors at this point in the season, there is usually not a lot of substance supporting it. However, the SF Giants will be in the market for a shortstop this winter and Boston Red Sox star shortstop Xander Bogaerts could be one of the best options available.

Rumor: Could SF Giants land Boston Red Sox star shortstop in free agency?

Chris Cotillo, who is a Red Sox beat writer for MassLive.Com, speculates that the longtime Red Sox shortstop could end up in San Francisco. Cotillo is well-connected to the Boston market, so when he suggests an idea, there is usually support to back it up.

The Giants are expected to be legitimate players this offseason as they will boast more spending power than just about every team in baseball. Will they shop at the top of the market to reel a player of Bogaerts' caliber in? That remains to be seen.

The first order of business will depend on Bogaerts. The 10-year veteran signed a six-year, $120 million extension in 2019 that includes an opt-out clause after the 2022 campaign. He is in the midst of yet another strong season, so opting out seems like a formality at this point.

if he does become a free agent, he would check off a lot of boxes for the Giants. San Francisco is very thin on start talent and adding Bogaerts would change that dynamic quickly as he has been selected as an AL All-Star in three of the last four seasons. The lone exception was in 2020 when baseball skipped the All-Star game due to the pandemic-shortened season.

Since he debuted with the Red Sox in 2013, the right-handed bat has slashed .293/.357/.460 (117 OPS+) with an 8.5 percent walk rate against an 18.4 percent strikeout rate. Bogaerts offers the rare combination of the ability to hit for average and power. He has surpassed the .300 mark in three of the four seasons while recording double-digit home run totals in every season since 2016.

The 2022 season has been the type of season that Red Sox fans have some to expect with Bogaerts. He has posted a .319/.387/.473 line (138 OPS+) with 13 home runs, 66 RBI, and 80 runs while being worth 5.6 bWAR in 561 plate appearances.

The longtime Red Sox shortstop is due for a sizable payday and has plenty of good baseball ahead of him as he will only be in his age-30 season in 2023. The Giants have the money to spend and it will take a lot of money to pry the Scott Boras client away from Boston.