The club is ‘avidly courting’ Red Sox legend Xander Bogaerts

The Phillies will be courting Xander Bogaerts and Trea Turner this offseason.

Way back when shortstop Xander Bogaerts was an oft-mentioned prospect, then-Philadelphia Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. could potentially acquire in a trade centered around 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels.

A deal with the American League East never materialized, and the left-hander was eventually dealt to the Texas Rangers.

After all, more than seven years later, Bogaerts could end up wearing red pinstripes. According to the Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham, the Phillies will be “avid suitors” for the four-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger and two-time World Series champion — if the Red Sox let him reach free agency.

Bogaerts, who will turn 30 in October, enters Sunday with a career .293/.357/.460 slash line with 307 doubles, 154 home runs and 675 RBI over 10 seasons. So far this season, the Aruba native leads the American League with a .318 batting average.

Bogaerts’ best season offensively came in 2019, when he hit 52 doubles, 33 home runs and 117 RBI in 155 games before finishing fifth in the MVP race.

If Bogaerts enters free agency and former Red Sox manager Dave Dombrowski reunites with him in Philadelphia, he would essentially replace Jean Segura in the Phillies’ infield.

The Phillies could choose to bring Segura back next season on a $17 million team option, or buy out his contract for $1 million. While Segura has been a key piece on the big league roster since being acquired from the Seattle Mariners in December 2018, it would be a seamless acquisition of Bogaerts for a franchise looking to take the next step.

Dombrowski and Bogaerts could reunite this offseason, but so could Bryce Harper and his former Washington Nationals teammate, Trea Turner. The offseason rumors are sure to be interesting. For now, the Phillies remain in strong contention for their first postseason berth since 2011.