The San Diego Padres have internally discussed the possibility of asking shortstop Xander Bogaerts to change positions and play either first or second base ahead of next season, according to Dennis Lin of The Athletic. Bogaerts’ relocation to the right side of the infield would be part of an effort on San Diego’s part to achieve the optimal defensive arrangement. 

Manager Bob Melvin’s most-used infield this season saw Bogaerts at shortstop with Jake Cronenworth at first, Ha-Seong Kim at second, and Manny Machado at third. Machado isn’t moving, but the Padres would prefer to have Kim and Cronenworth forming their double-play combination. That leaves Bogaerts, who ranked in the 82nd percentile in Outs Above Average, over at first base.

Here’s a look at how the Padres’ infielders graded in that metric in 2023:

The 31-year-old Bogaerts signed an 11-year pact worth $280 million with the Padres last winter. At the time, Padres boss A.J. Preller conceded Bogaerts would likely shift down the defensive spectrum in the future — though Preller suggested it wouldn’t become a talking point for several years. Per Lin, Bogaerts prefers second base if he’s asked to move. Bogaerts also told Lin he has “no idea” if the Padres will approach him this winter with a request to take up a new spot.

Bogaerts has appeared at shortstop in 1,338 of his 1,391 big-league games. In 21 others, he appeared as his team’s designated hitter. Bogaerts has appeared in 53 games as a third baseman. He’s never manned first or second base as a professional, however, suggesting there would be a learning curve at play.

Bogaerts hit .285/.350/.440 (120 OPS+) with 19 home runs, 31 doubles, and 19 stolen bases on 21 tries in 2023. His contributions were worth an estimated 4.4 Wins Above Replacement, per Baseball Reference’s calculations.