San Diego Padres Make Huge Change To Lineup for 2024

February 16, 2024 ,


 In a stunning move just one year into a massive 11-year commitment, the San Diego Padres have announced that their $280 million dollar shortstop, Xander Bogaerts, is moving to second base for the 2024 season.

Glove Glover Ha-Seong Kim will play shortstop on a full-time basis, says manager Mike Shildt, certainly improving the Friars' infield defense.

Bogaerts, when he was a free agent in the summer of 2022, insisted that he had no interest in moving off the keystone before agreeing to that 11-year, $280 million deal with the Padres—to be their shortstop. That lasted one season. 

The former Boston Red Sox shortstop actually had the second-best Outs Above Average mark of his career in 2023, finishing in the 81st percentile. He did, however, finish with a minus-four Defensive Runs Saved, another important defensive metric. Statcast, meanwhile, rated his arm strength among shortstops in the bottom 24th percentile.

Ha-Seong Kim will return to his natural position, where his defensive metrics are elite. He finished in the 96th percentile in Outs Above Average in 2023. 

Schildt said that he has "admiration for (Bogaerts) to be a good teammate and recognize that we have an elite defender in Kimmy, who won a Gold Glove, to go back and play shortstop. I just admire him, it speaks a lot about his team-first (attitude)." 

Photo: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports



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