The San Diego Padres' decision to pursue Xander Bogaerts in free agency caught agent Scott Boras by surprise, per The Athletic. AJ Preller reportedly called Boras to discuss a specific free agent. However, Boras did not expect the free agent to be Bogaerts.
“We have to do a better job of understanding how A.J. thinks about how he puts teams together,” Boras told his support staff.
The Padres ultimately signed Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year, $280M dollar deal. However, Bogaerts himself echoed Boras' surprise during his press conference. After all, San Diego still has a superstar shortstop on the roster in the form of Fernando Tatis Jr.
“San Diego was my first All-Star game, back in 2016,” Bogaerts said during his press conference. “I envisioned myself possibly, maybe being here one day. But after they got Tatis I was a little unsure. I was like ‘that doesn’t fit.’ But here I am. It’s crazy how the world works and everything happens for a reason. So I’m excited to be here.”
The Padres are expected to move Tatis Jr. to the outfield. San Diego believes he's versatile enough to make a smooth transition to a new position.
With Xander Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis Jr, Manny Machado, and Juan Soto all on the same team, the Padres will be a legitimate threat in the National League for years to come. AJ Preller and the Padres are not afraid to construct their roster in versatile fashion. And that is something Scott Boras, and all agents for that matter, will keep in mind moving forward.
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