The Xander Bogaerts sweepstakes just got a lot more interesting.
The Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a 11-year, $300 million contract with star shortstop Trea Turner, ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel reported Monday.
The Phillies, led by former Boston Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, were viewed as serious suitors for Bogaerts in free agency. The Turner deal all but rules out Bogaerts-to-Philadelphia, which is good news for the Red Sox in that one competitor is off the board.
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The bad news for the Red Sox is that Turner's deal likely drives up Bogaerts' price tag.
Turner (29) and Bogaerts (30) are less than a year apart in age, with relatively similar talent. Turner batted .298 last season with 21 home runs and 100 RBIs, while Bogaerts hit .307 with 15 home runs and 73 RBIs. Both are viewed as top-five shortstops, so it seems likely that Bogaerts' agent, Scott Boras, would ask for a contract worth at least $200 million in free agency.
Considering the Red Sox reportedly have yet to make a competitive offer to Bogaerts and offered their franchise shortstop a paltry four-year, $90 million extension before the 2022 season, it seems unlikely they'd shell out $200 million-plus to keep him in Boston.
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With Turner off the market, the dominos may start falling quickly, so keep a close eye on Bogaerts as MLB's winter meetings continue.