For the San Diego Padres to become a perennial playoff contender, they need production and health from Xander Bogaerts. 

With nine more seasons of Xander Bogaerts, the San Diego Padres really need him to produce.

And they need it now.

The Padres foolishly signed the veteran to an 11-year deal worth $280 million before the 2023 season. There seemed to be very few suitors for the infielder, and the Padres overpaid for his services. After losing out to Aaron Judge and Trea Turner via free agency, the Padres spent money to ease their pain. There is no way to sugarcoat this signing. It happened.

At $25.45 million per season through the 2033 season, when the infielder is 40, the deal will be a burden for the Padres. Some argue that it is already an issue now. Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder in this manner. With nine years of commitment to Bogaerts, the Padres cannot give up. He must play. And he must produce.

Bogaerts came to San Diego with a career .814 OPS in his 10 years with the Red Sox. His first two seasons in San Diego resulted in a .790 OPS in 2023 and a putrid .688 OPS last season in 111 games. To say that he has been a disappointment is an understatement. We’ve seen flashes of the player who donned the Red Sox uniform, but nothing with any real consistency.

The Padres will need him to pick it up.

Realistically, expecting him to get better with age is not sensible. But Bogaerts is still in his early 30s and should be able to produce at the pace he showed in Boston. While with the Red Sox, Bogaerts produced five Silver Slugger seasons and was voted to four MLB All-Star games. The ability is there. The Padres need him to find it.

His presence at shortstop is really important now that Ha-Seong Kim plays for the Tampa Rays.

Kim provided solid defense and even forced Bogaerts away from the shortstop position to start the 2024 season. The Korean shortstop eventually went down with a shoulder injury last year, and Bogaerts was called upon to return to his native position and move away from the keystone.

The health of Bogaerts is very important for the Padres.

At this moment, Bogaerts’ backup at the shortstop position is Tyler Wade. He is not a realistic option at the everyday level.

Jose Iglesias may be able to play the position as well, but the veteran has not routinely started at shortstop since the 2022 season when he was with Colorado. There are men who could arguably play the position on the Padres roster, but moving Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, or Manny Machado at this point seems unrealistic. They are all entrenched where they currently play on the baseball diamond.

Eguy Rosario is also capable of playing shortstop. The right-handed hitter is out of minor league options and must break camp with the team.

But if the Padres are at a point where Rosario, Iglesias, or Wade are playing shortstop every day, they will be in trouble. That is how important Bogaerts is to the Padres. He is almost irreplaceable with the current roster. The Padres need the veteran right-handed hitter to play 150-plus games this coming season. Bogaerts cannot go down to a major injury.

Health is a concern, but the Padres need ample production as well.

Somewhere at or near the .800 OPS mark will be sufficient. The Padres do not need an MVP-like season from Bogaerts. They just require some steady defense and a progression with the bat. He must show signs of life. With almost a decade on the books left in his contract, it is way too early for Xander Bogaerts to be washed up.

The star baseball player is in there somewhere. Padres fans must witness him in 2025.

James Clark

James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. James has written about the Padres and their prospects for over a decade. He also writes about San Diego State as well as other local sports. James is the Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.