Former Boston Red Sox star, and current San Diego Padres infielder, Xander Bogaerts, is reportedly committed to suiting up for the Netherlands at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Netherlands' skipper Andruw Jones made the announcement on Tuesday's "Foul Territory TV."
Bogaerts, 32, has already played in three different World Baseball Classics. He hails from Aruba, which is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Curacao is the same, which is why Jones can be the manager. Schoop, Gregorius, Rafaela, Albies and Jansen are all from Curacao as well.
A 13-year veteran of the Red Sox and Padres, Bogaerts is a career .288 hitter. A four-time All-Star, he helped the Red Sox win the World Series in 2013 and 2018. The team let him go in free agency and he signed an 11-year deal with the Padres before the 2023 campaign. He's hit just .272 for San Diego with 35 home runs. He has only five this season. He is a five-time Silver Slugger.
If the Netherlands can put together the best roster possible, it would join the United States, Japan, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Venezuela as serious contenders.
The World Baseball Classic will take place during spring training next season, causing several big-league stars to leave their teams during the spring. However, the tournament has become very popular, especially internationally. It's credited for helping to grow the game across the globe.
Japan won the most recent version of the event in 2023, beating the United States in an epic Gold Medal match.
