Xander Bogaerts, Ex-Red Sox Star, Will Change Roles With Padres In 2024

Xander Bogaerts is changing positions.

Padres manager Mike Shildt told reporters Friday that Bogaerts will move from shortstop to second base this season.

Ha-Seong Kim, meanwhile, will become San Diego’s primary shortstop after bouncing around the infield the past three seasons but playing primarily second base in 2023.

Bogaerts, 31, is entering just the second season of an 11-year, $280 million contract he signed with the Padres in free agency last winter. Kim is the superior defender, so this move isn’t terribly surprising, but it’s nevertheless a notable development as San Diego’s roster takes shape.

Bogaerts never played second base in his MLB career. He played some third base upon arriving in the majors with the Boston Red Sox in 2013 and 2014, but he’s exclusively played shortstop (or designated hitter) since 2015, earning four All-Star selections and five Silver Slugger Awards at the position.

Bogaerts had a mostly solid season at the plate in 2023, despite some ebbs and flows, finishing with a .285/.350/.440 slash line, 19 home runs, 58 RBIs, 19 stolen bases and 120 OPS+. He had 4.4 fWAR, tied for second on the Padres with Kim and Fernando Tatis Jr.

The Padres failed to meet their lofty expectations in 2023 and since have undergone a few changes, most notably trading Juan Soto — San Diego’s fWAR leader last season — to the New York Yankees to trim their massive payroll. Shifting Bogaerts to the keystone isn’t a huge move, per se, but it certainly speaks to the risk San Diego assumed when signing the longtime Boston star to such a monstrous deal on the open market.

Bogaerts won two World Series titles with the Red Sox (2013 and 2018) over a 10-year run in Boston. His contract with the Padres runs through the 2033 season.