Inside The Padres

Padres Insider Says It’s Time to Worry About $280 Million All-Star

Jason Fray|
Apr 9, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) hits a double against the Athletics during the first inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Apr 9, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) hits a double against the Athletics during the first inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

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San Diego Padres

Xander Bogaerts was brought to San Diego for one main reason: His bat.

The native of Aruba developed into a multi-time All-Star with the Boston Red Sox. First coming up at age 20, Bogaerts went on a run which included four All-Star appearances, seven years with a batting average above .285, and the real ability to spray the ball to all parts of the park. A contact hitter with some pop, it's not surprising that the Padres ponied up $280 million over 11 years to bring him info the fold.

Since signing with the Padres three years ago, the 32-year-old hasn't been able to replicate the same success he had in the American League. In his first year with San Diego, Bogaerts hit a respectable 19 home runs with a .285 average. Last year, Bogaerts only had 11 homers — the lowest number he's had in a season since 2015. A .688 OPS is the lowest Bogaerts accrued dating back to 2014.

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MLB.com writer AJ Cassavell dug into Bogaerts numbers thus far in 2025 before hie first home run of the season on Tuesday. Considering the amount of money owed to him moving forward, as Cassavell mentions, it'll be a major problem if Bogaerts can't turn his production around. He's far too costly to be an albatross on the books should his inability to hit for power continue.

"Hitting in the second and/or fourth spot in the lineup, Bogaerts’ struggles are more pronounced than they otherwise would be. But there’s still cause for concern after his slow start. Bogaerts posted a sub-.700 OPS last season, and he's now at just .662. His clutch numbers with the Padres have been poor -- a .631 OPS across three seasons with men in scoring position. That's a far cry from the Bogaerts who had a knack for hitting in the clutch in Boston. The Padres need that version of him."

Hitters don't tend to improve at a considerable level once approaching their mid-30s. Bogaerts will be 33 in October, and is on the books with San Diego until 2033 (when he'll be 40 years of age).

Entering Tuesday, Bogaerts had yet to hit a home run. He finally broke that seal with a home run in the win over the San Francisco Giants. With a .253 batting average, he's on pace to have the lowest mark of his career dating back to when he was a second-year player in 2014.

Manager Mike Shildt is notoriously positive, and has defended Bogaerts in the media repeatedly. San Diego is battling with a host of injuries and want to get the ballclub back fully healthy before making any long-term decisions on players.

Having said that, if Bogaerts continues to struggle to this level, many could look at his contract as one of the worst in baseball.

Hopefully Tuesday is a sign of things to come for the high-paid infielder.

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For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.

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Jason Fray
JASON FRAY

Jason Fray is a proud native of Los Angeles. After graduating from UCLA in 2011, he's written for a number of publications -- including Bleacher Report, FOX Sports, Saturday Down South, and New Arena. In his downtime, he enjoys writing scripts, going to shows, weekly pub trivia with the boys, trying the best hole-in-the-wall food spots around town, and traveling (22 countries & counting). 

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