Sam Kennedy says Red Sox will ‘keep talking’ with Xander Bogaerts

As exciting as the signing of Trevor Story is for the Red Sox’ immediate future, it’s hard not to also see it as unsaid preparation for the potential departure of Xander Bogaerts at the end of the season.

Bogaerts’s acknowledgment on Thursday that he and the team couldn’t agree on a new contract before the start of this season — “Nah,” he replied when asked if he expected an extension before Opening Day — won’t dispel those fears.

“I can’t do nothing about it right now,” he added, acknowledging that the team did make him an offer but apparently weren’t close on the terms. “I’ve got a season coming up in front of me and I don’t want to put any of our teammates in that type of distraction…We…