Longtime shortstop headed into the 2024 season as the Padres new everyday second baseman, but he moved back to short in September to fill the void when was lost to a season-ending shoulder injury. With Kim now , the path is clear for Bogaerts to return to his old position. Padres manager Mike Shildt told reporters (including ) that Bogaerts will be the teams regular shortstop in 2025, and that the veteran is excited about the opportunity. The news isnt nece sarily a shock, as Bogaerts retook the position down the stretch and into the postseason while Kim was on the IL late last year. Hes far from the only player on the roster with shortstop experience, but president of baseball operations AJ Preller at the start of the offseason that he wasnt enthused by the prospect of moving either of his former shortstops in the outfield, and , back onto the infield dirt in 2025. There have been at least throughout the winter that rival clubs have expre sed interest in Bogaerts as a potential trade candidate but the veterans hefty contract has long made such an arrangement look Cole Koepke Jersey unlikely. Its hardly a shock that San Diego has him penciled in for the starting shortstop gig to open the season given the unlikeline s of a trade, particularly now that Kim has reached an agreement elsewhere that will shut the door on a reunion. As Bogaerts enters his age 32 season in 2025, hell be looking to rebound from the worst campaign of his career last year. In the second year of his 11-year, $280MM contract with San Diego the infielder was limited to just 111 games by a fractured left shoulder and hit just .264/.307/.381 (95 wRC+) when healthy enough to take the field. Notably, Bogaerts began to look a bit more like himself after returning from injury in the second half with a .299/.338/.432 (117 wRC+) in 64 games after being activated from the injured list in mid-July. Thats more or le s in line with the 119 wRC+ he posted during his first year in San Diego, when he was able to put together a campaign worth 4.6 fWAR. That was the seventh best season among all shortstops in baseball in 2023, and the Padres would surely be delighted by a similar performance in 2025. With Bogaerts seemingly entrenched at shortstop, the rest of the clubs infield mix falls into place with remaining at third base while slides over to second in place of Bogaerts. stands as the current top candidate to handle first base as things stand despite his name frequently appearing in the rumor mill this winter, but the Padres preferred to use him as their DH for the majority of his time in San Diego last year. With at least one bat seemingly needed between first base and DH, where Arraez ends up playing could come down to what player is added to the 1B/DH mix alongside him. and are among the best remaining players available at DH in free agency, while first base has a handful of relatively affordable veterans available like and . Andrew Peeke Jersey