
Feb 19, 2020; Lee County, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox player Xander Bogaerts (2) poses for a photo during media day Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
The Major League Baseball Winter Meetings closed out with the San Diego Padres adding more firepower to a loaded everyday lineup.
MLB Network was the first to report Wednesday night about an agreement between the Padres and free agent shortstop Xander Bogaerts.
After missing out with big-money contract offers to Trae Turner and Aaron Judge, the Padres reportedly did not miss this time.
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The 30-year-old Bogaerts is a career .292 hitter in 10 seasons with the Boston Red Sox. Bogaerts' best season in Boston was 2019, in which he batted .309 with 33 homers and 117 RBI.
Bogaerts is a four-time All-Star and a two-time World Series champion. He is coming off one of his best seasons, posting a 5.8 bWAR and finishing ninth in American League MVP voting in 2022.
By adding Bogaerts, the Padres now have thre players, including Tatis and Ha-Seong Kim, who can play shortstop. Position flexibility has been stressed by Padres General Manager A.J. Preller in recent days and this signing indicates that multiple players on the Padres will be either switching positions or rotating.
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The $280-million contract now gives the Padres three huge money contracts, as Bogaerts joins Tatis at $380 million and Machado at $300 million.
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