Red Sox, Xander Bogaerts nearing six-year contract extension

SEATTLE -- Fresh off a newly-minted contract extension for Chris Sale, the Red Sox Sunday were putting the finishing touches on a new deal with shortstop Xander Bogaerts, an industry source confirmed.

The contract would be worth $120 over six seasons, beginning in 2020. Bogaerts, who, like Sale, would have been eligible for free agency after the 2019 season, stands to make $12 million in 2019, the result of an agreement reached in January before salary arbitration.

Evan Drellich was the first to report the sides were close to an agreement.

That brings the total value of the deal to $132 million over the next seven seasons.

Bogaerts declined comment as the Red Sox left T-Mobile Park Sunday evening.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow,'' said Bogaerts as he walked to the team bus.

Dave Dombrowski, president of baseball operations, also declined comment.

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The deal would successfully lock up another core member of the Red Sox' roster long-term. Bogaerts would remain under team control through 2025, though there were indications that the deal would involve an opt-out for the shortstop.

Bogaerts, 26, who made his debut in the second half of the 2013 season, has emerged as one of the game's better offensive shortstops while also developing the reputation as a dependable defender with just 10 errors committed last season.

If Bogaerts is not in the same class as, say, Houston's Carlos Correa or Cleveland's Francisco Lindor, then he certainly is part of the next-best class at the position. Last season, he established career bests in homers (23), RBI (103), doubles (45) and OPS (.883).

Equally as important is that the Red Sox have no one in their system they could turn to as a replacement for Bogaerts had he left for free agency. C.J. Chatham, a second-round pick in 2016, will begin the year at Double-A Portland and will likely need more than this season to further develop.

The imminent signing for Bogaerts -- which could become official and be announced Monday -- means the Sox have successfully signed up two of their three big-name free-agents-to-be for next winter, with only Rick Porcello without a contract past 2019.

(More complementary players such as Mitch Moreland, Steve Pearce and Brock Holt are also headed toward free agency, but can't be considered core players for the organization).

Only last week, when the Sox announced Sale's extension, Dombrowski said the Sox would prefer to get any such extensions done before the start of the season so as to avoid potential distractions for the player or the team. But in cases where a deal has been negotiated and an agreement is close, the Sox have been willing, in the past, to extend that unofficial deadline in the hopes that a deal can be finalized.