5 ripple effects of Bogaerts’ position switch

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Mere moments before his team was slated to take the back fields at the Peoria Sports Complex for its first full-squad workout, Padres manager Mike Shildt dropped the news of the weekend:

Xander Bogaerts, Shildt said, would be moving off shortstop. Ha-Seong Kim will be taking over at short, with Bogaerts sliding to second.

Surprising? I don't think so. Bogaerts was bound to move away from shortstop at some point during his 11-year deal in San Diego. Maybe it happened sooner than expected. But the timing made sense. Kim is one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball, after all.

Still, the decision comes with quite a few short- and long-term ripple effects for the franchise:

1. The Padres get better defensively

How much better? That's contingent upon how well Bogaerts handles his transition to second. His quick feet and quick hands should play well there, team evaluators say. Plus, the Padres like the fact that Bogaerts' commanding presence remains in the middle of their infield.

But Kim is a better defensive shortstop than Bogaerts. That much is irrefutable. Kim was worth 8 outs above average at short in 2022, compared with Bogaerts' 3 in '23. He's significantly rangier. And although Kim is an elite defender at second and third, there's no position in the infield more valuable than shortstop.

2. There's a vacancy beyond 2024

Kim is under contract through the 2024 season with an option for '25 that he seems likely to decline. In moving Bogaerts, the Padres solidified their infield defense for the upcoming season. But they also opened a hole beyond that.

On this roster full of shortstops, naturally, there are candidates to fill the long-term shortstop vacancy. Heck, it's possible Bogaerts is still one of those candidates.

Jackson Merrill certainly is. The team's No. 2 prospect, Merrill will be competing for a roster spot as a utility player this spring, perhaps earning playing time in left field. But Merrill will continue getting reps at short. His glove remains a question mark. But if he can prove himself defensively, the Padres might have just cleared a path for him to become their shortstop of the future. Then again...

3. This might change the calculus with Kim

Is it possible Kim is both the Padres' shortstop of the present and future?

"We've made it known to Ha-Seong that we value him," Padres general manager A.J. Preller said, when asked about the possibility of a long-term extension for Kim. "He understands that. Ultimately, it's hard to line up on some of these things. How that all plays out over the course of the next few months, that'll be between us and Ha-Seong and his representatives."

Much of the chatter surrounding Kim this offseason has been about a potential trade. At the very least, that scenario seems less likely now that the Padres have moved him to shortstop (and moved Bogaerts, their $280 million investment from a year ago, away from the position).

4. What's next for Bogaerts?

Bogaerts hasn't played a professional inning at second base. We have no idea how he'll fare at second. We do have a pretty good idea how Jake Cronenworth would fare. In 2022, Cronenworth's last full season at the position, he was a Gold Glove finalist.

The Padres never broached the possibility of Bogaerts moving to a position other than second. They're confident his transition will go smoothly and that his skill set will translate. Shildt touted Bogaerts' ability to serve as the infield's "point guard" from the middle of the diamond.

But what if Bogaerts struggles? A future position switch to, say, first base or left field isn't inconceivable. If the Padres were willing to move Bogaerts once to maximize their defense, it stands to reason they'd be willing to ask him to do so again.

5. 'Big leadership'

Bogaerts has always made it clear how much he loves shortstop. He wears No. 2 in honor of Derek Jeter (who famously never moved off the position). This couldn't have been easy.

Still, when Bogaerts spoke to the media on Friday afternoon, he said it took him "15 seconds" to come to terms with the switch.

"The only reason I came here was to win a World Series," Bogaerts said. "So if this is the way that we’re going to get one, so be it. I want to win."

That response has earned Bogaerts universal praise in the Padres' clubhouse.

"My admiration for Xander Bogaerts went through the roof in this transition," Shildt said.

"I think it just shows big leadership on X's part," said Manny Machado.

"I have really high praise for him," said Kim through interpreter David Lee. "I have a lot of respect for him, making that decision. I just need to put in a good performance at shortstop now."