9:00 PM ET
Associated Press
SAN DIEGO -- It didn't instrumentality agelong for Xander Bogaerts to beryllium asked whether helium expected to beryllium the San Diego Padres' full-time shortstop adjacent though the squad already has 2 stalwarts astatine the position.
"I play infield. I play shortstop," a smiling Bogaerts said aft pulling connected a No. 2 location achromatic pinstripe jersey and brownish headdress during a quality league Friday astatine Petco Park.
Bogaerts and the Padres finalized a $280 million, 11-year declaration aft the four-time All-Star passed his physical.
The woody with the 30-year-old Bogaerts shows proprietor Peter Seidler's willingness to proceed to walk large successful an effort to triumph an elusive World Series title.
The Padres already person 2 shortstops connected the roster, including Fernando Tatis Jr., who volition beryllium eligible to instrumentality April 20 from an 80-game suspension for investigating affirmative for a performance-enhancing drug. The different is Ha-Seong Kim, who played good portion filling successful for Tatis, an All-Star successful 2021 who missed each of past season.
Bogaerts joins an already heavy lineup that includes 3rd baseman Manny Machado and outfielder Juan Soto.
"The roster is truthful stacked, apical to bottom, it's unbelievable," said Bogaerts, a autochthonal of Aruba who signed with the Boston Red Sox astatine property 16 and helped them triumph the World Series successful 2013 and 2018. "When they bushed the Dodgers here, seeing however amped up the fans were during the playoffs, it was amusive to ticker connected TV."
The Padres eliminated the 101-win New York Mets successful the wild-card circular earlier beating the 111-win NL West rival Los Angeles Dodgers successful the Division Series. They mislaid the NL Championship Series to the Philadelphia Phillies successful 5 games.
With Bogaert's arrival, it's expected that Tatis volition determination to the outfield erstwhile helium returns, with Kim taking implicit astatine 2nd base. All-Star 2nd baseman Jake Cronenworth apt volition displacement to first. Tatis was connected the cusp of returning from a breached near wrist erstwhile helium was suspended by MLB connected Aug. 12. He past had country connected his troublesome near enarthrosis arsenic good arsenic a follow-up country connected his wrist.
General manager A.J. Preller said that erstwhile helium spoke with Machado astir bringing successful Bogaerts arsenic different shortstop/infielder, the All-Star's effect was: "The much the merrier."
After past season, Bogaerts opted to terminate his $120 million, six-year declaration with Boston, forfeiting salaries of $20 cardinal for each of the adjacent 3 years aft hitting .307 with 15 homers and 73 RBI successful 150 games.
"We were looking for that close fit, that close portion that volition assistance america get implicit the top," Preller said. "When we met aboriginal this week, helium told maine that he's 'baseball-struck.' He's a 24/7 feline astir the game."
Bogaerts is simply a .292 vocation hitter with 156 homers and 683 RBI successful 10 large league seasons - each with Boston.
He had his champion play successful 2019, batting .309 with a career-best 33 homers and 117 RBI. He had 23 homers and 103 RBI successful 2018.
In 44 postseason games, Bogaerts is simply a .231 hitter with 5 homers and 16 RBI.
The Padres gave Machado a $300 million, 10-year declaration arsenic a escaped cause successful 2019 and signed Tatis to a $340 million, 14-year woody successful 2021.
"This is simply a metropolis that's headed for its archetypal satellite title ever," Seidler said. "Hopefully, 1 time soon, the shot gods volition grin connected our city."
San Diego reached the World Series successful 1984 and 1998 and was routed some times.
Earlier this week, the Padres came up abbreviated successful efforts to motion escaped agents Trea Turner and Aaron Judge, despite what was reported to beryllium much lucrative offers.
They're beauteous blessed with the prima they did sign.
"Having a feline similar Xander, it's not conscionable the numbers helium puts up, it's besides his character," Padres manager Bob Melvin said. "He makes america better, truthful we'll spot wherever this goes."
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