Bogaerts' message to brass: Keep us together

BOSTON -- It was a swing like so many Xander Bogaerts has taken in his 10 seasons with the Red Sox.

It was graceful and it was timely. And his three-run rocket over the Green Monster in the bottom of the sixth inning sent the Red Sox to a 4-2 victory over the Guardians on Thursday night at Fenway Park.

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But Bogaerts hopes it was more than just a swing to win a game.

He hopes it was a swing in momentum for a team that badly needs one.

More than that, Bogaerts hopes it will propel the club to a surge over these next five days that will convince the front office to keep a veteran core intact. The Trade Deadline is on Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET.

Through the wild ups and downs of this season, the Red Sox are 50-50 and still in contention for an expanded six-team playoff that was installed before this season. Boston is 3 1/2 games back in the American League Wild Card standings.

Bogaerts was informed by the front office that he won’t be traded this offseason should he choose not to exercise his opt-out clause. While that alleviates some stress for the shortstop, he also hopes that designated hitter J.D. Martinez, catcher Christian Vázquez, right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, outfielder Kiké Hernández and other veteran players in their walk year won’t be traded, either.

“We know the guys in there, we've been through a lot this year,” Bogaerts said in a postgame interview with NESN. “We went through a lot in the beginning. We've been going through a lot now. We’ve had our good times, we’ve had our bad times. I feel in the end it’s a really special group. Everyone wants to stay together. No one wants to separate, so those decisions aren't up to us.

“The only way we can kind of help that a little bit is if we continue to win games. Right now, every game matters.”

So yes, that three-run shot against the Guardians mattered to Bogaerts for a lot of reasons. That included the fact that he snapped a drought of 78 plate appearances without going deep, and that it supported rookie righty Kutter Crawford, who has pitched well for weeks without much run support.

“It was a huge swing,” said Bogaerts. “I couldn’t ask for a better time for that. So hopefully, we keep winning games and we make it harder for those guys [in the front office] to [sell].”

A proud veteran who is considered the leader of his team, Bogaerts is fully aware the Red Sox still have most of the pieces that got them within two wins of the World Series last year.

Bogaerts also knows the team has been playing without star third baseman Rafael Devers (right hamstring) the past six games. Trevor Story’s power bat and slick glove have been missing since July 12 due to a right hand contusion.

Devers is expected to be back when eligible on Tuesday night in Houston, just hours after the Deadline. Story, who is making incremental progress, might not be far off, either. The Red Sox could use the spark and defensive versatility of Hernández, who is trying to come back from a right hip injury that has kept him out since June 8.

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Michael Wacha and Rich Hill, two veterans the rotation has been without all month, are projected to be back in the fold soon.

The injuries, defensive lapses and offensive inconsistency have contributed to a disappointing 7-17 record in July, even after Thursday’s win secured a split of the four-game series.

In a market like Boston, the noise gets really loud when struggles coincide with a looming Trade Deadline.

Bogaerts has gone through plenty of tough stretches during his time in Boston -- enough that he knows how to ease the minds of the players he inhabits the clubhouse with.

“Let’s get this [Trade Deadline] over with and keep rolling with the boys, because I know we have a lot of help coming on the way. That’s like a Trade Deadline on its own,” said Bogaerts. “You’ve got Story, Raffy, Kiké, [Christian] Arroyo not too far away. Obviously we need J.D. [Martinez] back [hitting], because J.D. is a game changer.”

When the Red Sox first went cold recently, all the buzz was about whether they would consider trading Bogaerts -- a two-time World Series champion and a four-time All-Star -- due to the opt-out clause in his contract.

Red Sox president/CEO Sam Kennedy and chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom poured water on those flames this week when they publicly stated the shortstop and Devers (free agent-eligible after 2023 season) wouldn’t be traded prior to the Deadline.

The decision on both cornerstones could come this offseason. Before that happens, Bogaerts is hoping for another exciting pennant race with the only team he has ever played for.

“First things first, he’s making a lot of money right now,” quipped Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “But he’s locked into this. He wants to win here. He’s been very vocal in meetings and all that, kind of like, ‘Hey, let’s keep grinding. It doesn’t look great, but it doesn’t look awful either. We’re right there.’”