FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Could Xander Bogaerts recruit Mookie Betts to come back to the Red Sox as a free agent next winter? Don’t rule it out.

“Hey, you know... probably, maybe in a year,” Bogaerts said. “We’ll see how that goes. He knows what he means to us and we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

Betts and Bogaerts, who were born six days apart, have been major league teammates ever since Betts was called up for the first time in June 2014. That run came to an end Monday, when the Sox shipped Betts and lefty David Price to the Dodgers for outfielder Alex Verdugo, infielder Jeter Downs and catcher Connor Wong.

For Bogaerts, this year’s spring training will feel different without Betts in the clubhouse.

“That’s the only way I knew it,” Bogaerts said. “Coming up, I was here a little before him. I saw him make his debut so you obviously think you’re going to stick together as a team. We knew tough decisions were going to come at a certain point. It’s hard to keep everyone you have on this team.”

Bogaerts, who signed as an international free agent in 2009, was ahead of Betts in his development and debuted in Aug. 2013. Betts, a fifth-round pick in the 2011 draft, joined the Sox 10 months later. Save for a couple of short minor league assignments for Betts in the summer of 2014, the two stars played together for five and a half seasons.

“It’s crazy to think how time flew that quick,” Bogaerts said. “Obviously, I wish him nothing but the best. One of the best teammates I’ve had. One of the best young players we had to wear the Red Sox uniform. He’s someone we’re going to miss a lot. It’s not easy to replace somebody like that on and off the field.”

Though the two players were close, Bogaerts said they never talked at length about how to approach free agency. Bogaerts, who was slated to hit the market after last season, expressed a strong desire to stay with the Sox and took a hometown discount to do so. Betts never seemed too interested in signing an extension, instead focusing on trying to secure the largest deal possible as a free agent.

Bogaerts said the perception that Betts didn’t like Boston is an unfair one.

“The one thing I know about him is that he loved being here,” Bogaerts said. “He enjoyed playing with us. He was a great teammate. I can’t really say that he didn’t want to be here. I think that’s a little unfair. He enjoyed his time here and never showed me anything he didn’t like about being here. It’s going to be tough without him.”

Betts will play out the season with the Dodgers before becoming the game’s top free agent after the season. He’s expected to command a deal that exceeds $350 million, with some speculating that he could shatter records with a contract in the $400 million range.

It’s unclear if the Red Sox, who will be in the market for big name free agents next winter, will pursue a reunion with Betts. Either way, Bogaerts is rooting for his friend to cash in on the open market.

“I hope (the contract) is real big for him,” Bogaerts said. “He deserves it. That’s the route he chose to go and I wish him nothing but the best. I hope he gets all that he wants and even more.”