Padres May Force High-Paid Shortstop Xander Bogaerts to Change Positions Next Season

San Diego has a good problem on their hands.

When the San Diego Padres signed shortstop Xander Bogaerts last offseason, it came as a surprise to many around the league. The team already had a solid shortstop in place, and they had just made a run to the NLCS.

It was seen as a move that would boost them to the front of the contenders' list, but the Padres never lived up to the hype this past season. They faltered under the pressure, and now entering the offseason, they have more questions than answers.

With the lack of success from last season, it could see the Padres making some moves with how they use their players. One possibility is moving Bogaerts from the shortstop position to allow Ha-Seong Kim to move back to his natural spot.

“But team officials have talked among themselves about the possibility of asking Bogaerts to move to the right side of the infield — an eventual scenario that was discussed as early as last offseason, when the Padres were still courting the four-time All-Star. His debut in San Diego included mixed metrics; Bogaerts tallied three outs above average but also minus-four defensive runs saved. Statcast rated his arm strength among shortstops in the bottom 24th percentile.”

Per Dennis Lin of The Athletic

This could allow the Padres to field a much better defensive team, something that could have helped them last season. If this move were to happen, it would give the Padres more flexibility to build out their roster and allow them to switch around different lineups next season.

It seems like it will indeed happen, and there are those in the organization that are pushing for it. Bogaerts could even be moved to first base if the team decides that is in their best interest.

“Bogaerts, if he must move to the right side of the infield, would prefer second base over first base. But some in the organization believe the best defensive setup would have Machado at third, Kim at shortstop, Cronenworth at second and Bogaerts at first.”

Per Dennis Lin of The Athletic

San Diego has multiple options to work within their infield, and it’s just a matter of sorting it all out. It’s a good problem for them to have, and hopefully, we can see a more cohesive unit next season.