Red Sox

Scott Boras believes Red Sox’ valuation model, not a miscalculation, is why Xander Bogaerts left

“I’m not sure it’s about miscalculation as much as it is about choices. You choose to pursue players."

By Conor Roche

December 16, 2022

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As one Scott Boras client left Boston, another one joined the Red Sox on Thursday.

The Red Sox officially announced the signing of Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida on Thursday, and while there was some buzz around the signing, many questions still lingered around the departure of Xander Bogaerts.

Boras, who represents both Yoshida and Bogaerts, was at Thursday’s press conference and was asked if the Red Sox, who reportedly offered Bogaerts a six-year, $160 million deal, miscalculated the market as their former shortstop signed an 11-year, $280 million deal with the Padres.

“I’m not sure it’s about miscalculation as much as it is about choices. You choose to pursue players,” Boras said. “[The Red Sox] chose to pursue [Yoshida] at levels that many other teams didn’t have him at. And teams chose to pursue Xander at levels that some teams didn’t have him at. You see that in the industry.”

Boras speculated that part of the reason why the Red Sox might have made the choice they made was due to shortstop Marcelo Mayer, who is viewed as one of the top prospects in baseball.

“There’s a certain shortstop that they have down in the minor leagues that they want to play here I would imagine,” Boras said. “Pretty good ballplayer. They have models. I’m not sure there’s a right or wrong to it.”

Boras compared the situation between Bogaerts and the Red Sox to Bryce Harper (another client of his) and the Nationals in 2019, saying Washington opted not to re-sign Harper because of Juan Soto’s rise to the majors.

“You can’t fault organizations for expressing their model,” he said.

Boras also believes Bogaerts got everything he wanted in his contract with the Padres.

“What’s Xander’s goal? Winning. What’s also his goal? He wants his appropriate valuation in the market,” he said. “We found that on a number of levels for him and chose that. For [the Red Sox], their model had a different modality with it, and they moved forward with it.”

As for the person he was in Boston for on Thursday, Boras said that Yoshida had “other teams that would have loved to have the opportunity to sign him” as Boston signed him less than 24 hours after he was posted.

Yoshida’s signing was met with backlash as numerous execs and scouts panned the signing, believing the five-year, $90 million deal was too pricey. But Boras insisted there were still multiple suitors, saying he and Yoshida narrowed down the teams for him to sign with to three before picking the Red Sox.

“We found out what teams were aligned with us in our evaluation,” he said. “We decided we’re going to go with Boston first because we thought he could execute here well and in the divisional ballparks. Playing here and being a left fielder we thought suited him in every aspect.”