The Philadelphia Phillies are expected to be aggressive players in free agency this offseason, and that has led them to quickly emerge as one of the top suitors for star shortstop Trea Turner. But as the market for Turner begins to heat up, the Phillies could end up pivoting their attention to another one of the four star shortstops on the free agent market this offseason.
That shortstop would be Xander Bogaerts. Bogaerts and Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski have familiarity with each other from when Dombrowski was the Red Sox GM, and Dombrowski hasn't been shy in his fandom of Bogaerts. If Turner ends up becoming too pricey for them, Philadelphia could end up switching their attention to Bogaerts.
“The Phillies consider Xander Bogaerts a reasonable alternative to Trea Turner. Bogaerts, in the opinion of a number of clubs, is the best hitter among the big four shortstops. He has proven he can play in a demanding market, and could profile at another infield position, if necessary, in the future. He also might sign for fewer years than Turner.” – Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic
Bogaerts has had a lot of interest on the market in the early going, as have each of the other three star shortstops. Turner and Carlos Correa figure to get some of the biggest deals in free agency this offseason, but it's looking like Bogaerts may end up getting quite a big deal himself.
The Phillies need to address their shortstop position this offseason, and it will be worth keeping an eye on them to see whether or not they end up landing Bogaerts, Turner, or someone else to fill their big hole on the left side of their infield.
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