Here’s what Xander Bogaerts had to say before playing his first game at Fenway Park since leaving the Red Sox
Bogaerts had made one prior trip back to Boston in 2024, but while that visit was emotional — complete with tributes from the fans, and the first chance to see so many people whom he’d known throughout his career — Bogaerts was on the injured list and unable to play. Now that he is ready to face the Red Sox, what kind of reception did Bogaerts anticipate on Friday?
Get Starting Point
“I don’t know. I hope [it’s positive]. We obviously ended on a good note,” said Bogaerts. “It’s been a couple years now, so hopefully they still remember once they hear my name.”
They did indeed. Bogaerts received an ovation when introduced, for obvious reasons. He was a key contributor to championships in 2013 and 2018, made four All-Star teams and won five Silver Sluggers with the Red Sox, and concluded his time in Boston having played more games at shortstop than anyone in franchise history.
Yet Bogaerts now acknowledges feeling separation from his time in Boston, in a way that wasn’t yet possible in his prior visit. Not only has more time passed, but he also has almost no remaining teammates from his Red Sox tenure.
“I feel like this is a whole new team that the Red Sox are compared to when I was here,” said Bogaerts. “I don’t know as many people. Most of my friends are either somewhere else or retired. It makes you see that time flies.”
That said, Bogaerts knows what it’s like to grow up in the Red Sox organization and to find his footing in the big leagues. There are some similarities between the path Bogaerts traveled as a celebrated top prospect who instantly contributed to Red Sox’ success in 2013 and Roman Anthony’s arrival last year. Yet Bogaerts noted a difference between their initial burst onto the big league scene, as well.
“He came up and got an extension right away. I can’t relate to that,” Bogaerts joked of the eight-year, $130 million deal Anthony signed last August. “It probably comes with a little bit more on his shoulders. He might be the face of the team right now, right? With all that happened last year, he’s probably the guy, I would guess … I don’t really know the kid, but all that I know is he’s very good at baseball. He seems like a nice kid also.”
Bogaerts does have thoughts about how Anthony and other young Red Sox players such as Marcelo Mayer can navigate the expectations and attention in Boston.
“Especially playing in a big market like this, just be respectful, be accountable,” said Bogaerts. “It can be hard, man. It can be hard. I can tell you that … They just want to see you succeed and help the team, help the city. But it can definitely be a little stressful sometimes, because the expectations are always high here. It’s something that goes back so long. It’s just a winning culture, winning tradition. A lot of great players came up playing for this organization, playing for this team. When I came up, it was David [Ortiz] and [Dustin] Pedroia. It’s always been big and great players around this team. And as I said, it’s just, expectations are always high.”
Now, however, Bogaerts is navigating a new set of expectations in San Diego — a city hungry for its first championship in the four major professional sports.
“I’m in a situation now where it’s kind of like most of the years where I’ve been with the Red Sox. We want to win, and the fans, that’s what they expect,” said Bogaerts. “They want it more badly [than Boston], maybe, because the Red Sox have a lot more championships up there in the banners. Getting the city of San Diego one might be one of the most special things, for sure.”
Alex Speier can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @alexspeier.
