Morning Sports Update

Scott Boras explained why he knew Xander Bogaerts would end up ‘somewhere besides Boston’

"Minnesota, the Cubs, the Blue Jays, they were really after him."

By Hayden Bird

January 17, 2023

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The Bruins smashed the Flyers 6-0 on Monday, with David Krejci marking his 1,000th career NHL game by logging three assists. Boston will play the Islanders in New York on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

The Celtics also won on Monday, downing the Hornets 130-118 behind Jayson Tatum’s dazzling 51-point performance.

And in NFL news, Tom Brady and the Buccaneers lost to the Cowboys 31-14 in the final game of the wild-card round. Brady, 45, offered no timeline about his potential future in football.

Scott Boras on the Red Sox: More than a month after Xander Bogaerts signed an 11-year deal with the Padres in free agency, his agent is speaking out about how much was known beforehand regarding the likelihood of a Boston departure.

Scott Boras, the MLB super agent who represents Bogaerts (among numerous other clients), recently talked with USA Today reporter Bob Nightengale about Carlos Correa, Bogaerts, and other MLB offseason news.

According to Boras, he knew the Red Sox weren’t going to re-sign Bogaerts, despite public statements to the contrary made by Boston leadership.

“It was just really clear to us there was a separation where Boston was going to go for Bogaerts compared to where the market was,” Boras told Nightengale. “They probably made a decision they were going to sign [Rafael] Devers, and were going to pay only one of them.

“So we knew at the forefront that [Bogaerts] would be somewhere besides Boston,” Boras continued. “Minnesota, the Cubs, the Blue Jays, they were really after him. But we kind of knew the Padres’ guy was Bogaerts. They wanted that personality, that leadership in that locker room.’’

The Red Sox agreed to a massive contract extension with Rafael Devers earlier in January.

Bogaerts, meanwhile, joins a Padres team that is coming off an appearance in the National League Championship Series and seems geared up for another run in 2023.

Trivia: Scott Boras attended the University of the Pacific before embarking on his career as an agent. Notable graduates of the school also include two Super Bowl-winning coaches. Can you name them?

(Answer at the bottom).

Hint: Raiders and Seahawks.

More from Boston.com:

• Krejci’s 1,000th game and more takeaways from a 6-0 Bruins win
• Tatum scores 51, Celtics beat Hornets for 7th straight win
• 8 takeaways as Celtics beat Hornets behind Jayson Tatum’s 51 points
• Which teams could target Tom Brady in free agency? NFL insiders list 3 potential landing spots
• Tom Brady trolled by Logan Ryan; asked to autograph his final pass thrown as a Patriot
• Bill O’Brien reportedly ‘primary target’ for Patriots’ vacant offensive coordinator position
• Unassuming, understated, and brilliant: David Krejci’s 1,000th game encapsulates his value to Bruins
• Red Sox’ reported interest in outfielder could help fix holes in the middle infield
• Dak Prescott outshines Tom Brady, Cowboys dominate Buccaneers 31-14
• After playoff dud, Tom Brady faces choice of whether to continue

Jayson Tatum was doing it all: On top of his 51 points, Tatum also added a few assists as well. Robert Williams finished things off with a dunk.

A rocket from Pavel Zacha: Krejci notched an assist on his special night with a typically well-weighted pass. The shot from Zacha spoke for itself.

On this day: In 2011, Zdeno Chara scored the only hat-trick of his NHL career, notching three goals in a lopsided 7-0 Bruins win over the Hurricanes.

Daily highlight: Eric Johansson helped Sweden defeat Uruguay on Monday in the Men’s World Handball Championship with an incredible angled finish that bent around the goalkeeper.

Trivia answer: Tom Flores and Pete Carroll