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Adding a player as high of a caliber as Xander Bogaerts was an obvious reason for the San Diego Padres to sign the talented shortstop.
Bogaerts, a four-time All-Star himself, now joins a band of All-Stars already in San Diego with the Padres boasting Manny Machado, Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis, Josh Hader, Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove on their roster.
Bogaerts has proven over his career to be one of the best shortstops in all of baseball as he won his fifth Silver Slugger Award this past season after batting .307 with 15 home runs and 73 RBIs.
The on-field talent of Bogaerts is undeniable, but that's not the only reason Padres general manager A.J. Preller wanted the 30-year-old.
Preller turned his attention mostly to the other things Bogaerts brought to the table, like his winning pedigree -- he won two World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox -- and being a well-respected leader in the clubhouse.
"The makeup component we focused on, knowing our players and the group we have in the clubhouse, and how that fit with Xander and his experiences," Preller said at Bogaerts' introductory press conference Friday, as transcribed by the Boston Herald's Jason Mastrodonato.
Bogaerts could be the missing piece the Padres were looking for. Preller has made big move after big move, which included giving up a haul of prospects for Soto at this year's trade deadline and handing Bogaerts a reportedly massive 11-year, $280 million deal.
But it hasn't yielded the Padres a World Series title. Yet. And make no mistake, that's Bogaerts' objective.
The former Red Sox can give San Diego, which was three wins shy of reaching the World Series this fall, the winning mentality it needs and keep those around him accountable by leading by example.
That was more than enough reason for Preller to make sure Bogaerts wound up playing for the Padres next season.
