Xander Bogaerts brought a winning track record to the San Diego Padres, but he struggled to get comfortable in San Diego. He was asked to move from shortstop to second base and he did so. Bogaerts then moved back to shortstop and the defensive uncertainty seems to have taken a toll on his offensive production. He had a solid second half of 2025 and Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune says he is the unquestioned shortstop going forward after the Padres traded Leo De Vries to the Athletics at last year’s trade deadline.
