Padres Sign Xander Bogaerts To 11-Year Contract
SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres have signed infielder Xander Bogaerts to a 11-year contract through the 2033 season, President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller announced today.
“We are very excited to add Xander to the San Diego Padres,” Preller said. “His consistency and top-level production places him among the best players in our game. Xander’s makeup and championship pedigree are a strong fit for our team as we look to achieve our goal of bringing a World Series Championship to San Diego.”
Bogaerts (BOH-garts), 30, led the Boston Red Sox in hits (171), AVG (.307), OBP (.377), walks (57) and runs scored (tied, 84) in 2022, and was one of only 11 qualifying Major League players to hit at least .300. The 6–2, 226-pound right-handed hitter was voted an American League All-Star reserve by the player ballot, his fourth career All-Star selection (also: 2016, 2019, 2021), making him one of only 10 Major League players to be selected to each of the last three All-Star Games. He played in at least 150 games for the fourth time (also: 2015–16, 2019), and it was also his fourth consecutive season without being placed on the Injured List due to injury (non-COVID IL). Bogaerts joined Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman as the only three players with an .825+ OPS in each season from 2018–22, and he’s one of just seven shortstops to post at least five consecutive seasons with an .825+ OPS in the Modern Era. He became one of 26 players in MLB history with 150+ home runs and 300+ doubles before turning 30 years old, earned his fifth career Louisville Silver Slugger award (also: 2015–16, 2019, 2021), and was a Gold Glove Award finalist, setting career bests in defensive runs saved (four), ultimate zone rating (4.9) and outs above average (five).
The Oranjestad, Aruba native is a career .292 hitter (1410-for-4834) with 308 doubles, 15 triples, 156 home runs, 683 RBI and 752 runs scored in 1,264 career Major League games. He has made 1,192 appearances at shortstop, 53 appearances at third base and 12 appearances as the designated hitter. A two-time World Series champion (2013, 2018), Bogaerts has played in 44 career Postseason games and compiled a .231/309/.381 slash line with seven doubles, one triple, five home runs, 16 RBI and 24 runs scored. He was an inaugural All-MLB First Team selection in 2019, setting career highs in extra-base hits (85), RBI (117) and OPS (.939). Bogaerts was originally signed by Boston as an international free agent on August 23, 2009, and has spent all 13 of his professional seasons with the Red Sox organization, including 9.042 years of service time at the Major League level. He is one of six Aruban-born players in MLB history, and speaks English, Spanish, Dutch, and Papiamento. He played for Netherlands in the 2013 and ’17 World Baseball Classics, and he was knighted in 2011 by the governor of Aruba.
Bogaerts will wear №2. Trent Grisham, who previously wore №2 for the Padres, will select a new uniform number in the coming days.
