I appreciate the big swings A.J. Preller likes to make running the San Diego Padres' front office. He has been in this role for a while now, and it is no secret that his big-stick mentality has brought the once-forgettable Padres to the forefront of baseball over the last six years. While they have still yet to win their first World Series in franchise history, he has been a huge reason for the team being relevant.
However, he may have taken one big swing too many not that long ago. What he and the Padres thought they would be getting out of former Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts when they signed him to an 11-year deal worth $280 million back in 2023 is nothing close to the production they have received. Bogaerts has gotten progressively worse at the plate each year he has been in San Diego.
In his 10-year run with the Red Sox, Bogaerts hit .292 with 156 home runs and 683 runs batted in. We are talking about a four-time AL All-Star, a five-time Silver Slugger recipient and a two-time World Series champion in Boston. Over the course of the past two-plus seasons in San Diego, Bogaerts is slashing .267/.327/.395 in 337 games for the Friars. He is only hitting .227 in 71 games this season.
Bogaerts' offensive prowess is getting worse by the season. Oh, and he will be under contract until 2034 ...
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Why is Xander Bogaerts not the same offensive player he once was?
There could be a few factors at hand here. First, I think going from hitter-friendly Fenway Park to pitcher-friendly Petco Park plays a massive part in this. Having the Green Monster and other outfield alignment quirks working in one's favor is not the same as Petco. When the park was first built, it was a pitcher's paradise because of the thick marine layer that would often finds its way into the stadium.
The other notion might be that Bogaerts is pressing too hard in trying to earn his salary. I have seen this happen with so many players before that it is starting to become an epidemic. He got paid to some degree in Boston, but not like this. On the other hand, it is not like Bogaerts is being paid to carry the entire Padres' offense. There are plenty of other big bats throughout.
In a way, I feel that Preller may have swallowed the bait hook, line and sinker when it came to paying Bogaerts the big bucks. Batting stats are largely inflated by playing 81 games a year at Fenway Park. Not to the degree of playing 81 games a season at Coors Field in Denver, but you catch my drift, right? Perhaps paying a player who thrived offensively in a hitter's ballpark is not the best of ideas.
Bogaerts has time to figure it out at the plate in San Diego, as he will be under contract for a while. If not, though, it's unclear how the Padres will move forward with him clogging up their payroll.