Xander Bogaerts joined the San Diego Padres as a free agent within the 2022-23 offseason, signing a contract for 11 years and $280 million, which included a no-trade clause. Individuals round San Diego and baseball puzzled if he was value such a contract as a result of nobody predicted he would obtain such a suggestion.
Some brokers guesstimate Xander Bogaerts will get one thing within the vary of $180m-$200m when he indicators, given the big spike available in the market.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 6, 2022
The Boston Purple Sox, the one workforce Bogaerts had identified in his earlier 10 MLB seasons, didn’t come near that sort of supply and that was after Bogaerts helped them win two World Collection titles.
Throughout the 2022-23 offseason, San Diego pursued free brokers Trea Turner and Aaron Decide, however each gamers signed elsewhere—Turner with the Phillies and Decide with the Yankees. This left the Padres with cash to spend and wanting a giant title to spend it on, therefore they signed Bogaerts.
With gamers like Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Juan Soto already on the roster, the addition of Bogaerts had the workforce and followers in San Diego believing that the Padres had been certain for his or her first World Collection look since 1998.
“The folks listed here are going nuts. Now you add top-of-the-line pure hitters in baseball to a lineup that is already potent.”@Padres broadcaster @jesseagler on San Diego’s response to the Xander Bogaerts deal and the NL West membership’s star-studded outlook for the 2023 marketing campaign. pic.twitter.com/wD73SWgfCs
— MLB Community (@MLBNetwork) December 12, 2022
The constructive emotions and far of the joy that carried the San Diego offseason dissipated because the 2023 common season began and progressed. The Padres by no means appeared to come back collectively as a workforce they usually missed the playoffs altogether, regardless of their star-studded roster. Rumors and hypothesis of battle among the many gamers, with the coaches and the entrance workplace solely added to the disappointing end result.
Bogaerts performed the 2023 season with a nagging wrist damage, showing in 155 video games the place he batted .285 with 170 hits, together with 19 dwelling runs with 58 RBI. These are strong numbers for a participant, however not a participant together with his contract.
Bogaerts didn’t do something to enhance on his first season in San Diego in the course of the 2024 season. Actually, he obtained worse. It needs to be famous Bogaerts suffered a shoulder damage — however he was restricted to 111 video games the place he managed to hit .264 with 113 hits, together with 11 dwelling runs with 44 RBI.
After back-to-back declining seasons for a participant who was paid like a famous person, endurance is working skinny for Padres followers. Current reviews have urged San Diego might think about buying and selling Bogaerts, however that might seemingly come at the price of a high prospect, reminiscent of catcher Ethan Salas or shortstop Leodalis DeVries. That might be a steep value to pay to maneuver Bogaerts, however eliminating or no less than lowering his contract would give San Diego monetary freedom so as to add to and enhance their roster in different areas.
Whereas accidents are part of the sport and have an effect on each workforce and most gamers, Bogaerts wants to indicate Padres followers why he was thought-about one of many high hitters available on the market when he signed with San Diego.
The Padres went into this winter focusing on a giant bat so as to add to a lineup that already consists of Juan Soto, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. They obtained it and extra in Xander Bogaerts, one of many sport’s purest hitters, and gave 11 years to the 30-year-old. @JonHeyman was first.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 8, 2022
A place transfer in 2024 from shortstop to second base has been reversed for 2025. Consolation and familiarity will restrict potential excuses for an additional down 12 months. If Bogaerts is in San Diego for the 2025 season, the Boston Bogaerts that led his workforce to titles and gained Silver Sluggers must be on the sphere for Opening Day.
