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Xander Bogaerts says Red Sox told him privately he wouldn’t be traded before deadline
"I think I started playing better after that."
Since the All-Star break, Red Sox star Xander Bogaerts is on a tear — .348/.444/.609 after his decisive three-run homer against the Guardians on Thursday.
Part of the reason for his success might be his renewed stability. With the trade deadline looming and the Red Sox scuffling, changes seem inevitable, but Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom suggested to reporters that both Bogaerts and Rafael Devers are off the table. According to Bogaerts, Bloom made that clear in private to him as well.
“I think I started playing better after that, right?” Bogaerts told reporters on Thursday.
While a Bogaerts trade looked increasingly unlikely over the last week, the quote was unexpected — a rare moment of candor from anyone involved with a team this close to the Aug. 2 trade deadline.
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“I don’t know if I should say that,” Bogaerts said. “I hope I don’t get in trouble but yeah. It’s much better like that. As I said, communication is always huge in everything in life. So to get that type of feedback, it’s beneficial.”
Red Sox manager Alex Cora praised Bogaerts after he lifted the Red Sox to a victory with his eighth homer.
“He’s doing a lot better,” Cora said. “Feeling better at the plate, being able to stay back and taking his walks. That’s the most important thing. When you see him start to dominate the strike zone, good things start to happen.”
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Bogaerts recorded three doubles and four RBIs against the Guardians.
“I just feel like it makes you freer,” Bogaerts said about knowing he won’t be dealt at the deadline. “And pretty much this is my first time really dealing with [trade rumors]. I know I had it a couple years ago in the 2020 season. COVID on its own was a distraction to that. So this is actually my first time really, really dealing with this. So it’s been up and down. But it’s been good.”
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