It seemed inevitable that Wade Boggs would play for the Boston Red Sox during his MLB career. During his 11-year tenure, he batted.338 and won five batting titles.
However, the Red Sox decided not to acquire the third baseman’s arbitration rights following the 1992 season, when Boggs was selected as an All-Star for the eighth consecutive year.
Boggs ultimately signed with the New York Yankees, the Red Sox’s bitter rival.
At the close of the 1991 season, Boggs told Jon Morosi on The Road to Cooperstown that he received an unofficial offer from then-owner Jean Yawkey worth $37 million over seven years. Yawkey passed away that offseason, but Boggs agreed.
The offer was withdrawn, and Boggs had no control over it because it was never formally made. The Red Sox decided not to acquire Boggs’ arbitration rights in 1992 after he recorded a career-worst hitting average of.259.
The Yankees weren’t the first team to contact him, Boggs said Morosithat. Boggs politely declined the Los Angeles Dodgers’ offer because he preferred to stay in Boston rather than travel to the West Coast.
“The Yankees called the following morning,” Boggs recounted. As we sit down and discuss, Joe Molloy, the general manager at the time, asks, “Would three years and $11 million put you in Pinstripes?” I need to go talk to my wife about it, I added. We’re off to New York, honey, I replied as I hurried out to my Porsche.
Before completing his career in Tampa Bay, Boggs played for the Yankees for the next five seasons.
Boggs was inducted into the Red Sox’s Hall of Fame in 2004 and retired his number 26 in 2016.
