Back in early July, we talked about Bo’s impending free agency. At the time he had a 105 wRC+ and we were talking about whether he would accept a qualifying offer or not.
Now? He’s been all-world for the last couple of months. The idea of him taking a QC is off the table. Since July first he’s hitting .374/.424/.564 with 6 home runs and 17 walks. It is the short of run you want to have heading into free agency.
It does put the club in a tough spot. Do you offer him a contract based on what he did for
half a season? Last season, he wasn’t a player you wouldn’t want to sign.
He’ll be 28 next year. The next contract is the one that will set him for life. I don’t think he’ll get 12 years or anything like that. 6-7 years? What is the amount that he won’t find insulting? $30 million a season? I don’t know how you value him, since this season and last season are two totally different animals. This year, he’s a star, someone who will get MVP votes. Last year, he was about league average.
Beyond the offense, I don’t how much longer he can play short. FanGraphs has him at a -10 outs above average, the worst number for any shortstop in the MLB. With a new contract, there would have to be a discussion about moving him off the position. I don’t know how Bo would react to that.
Let’s do a couple of polls:
