Xander Bogaerts will move to second base as part of Padres’ infield shakeup

The pending shift in the Padres’ infield, which seemed a given but had yet to be truly acknowledged, is happening.

Xander Bogaerts and Ha-Seong Kim are swapping spots, with Bogaerts moving to the right side to play second base and Kim crossing back over to the left side to play shortstop.

Manager Mike Shildt made it official on the morning of the Padres’ first full-squad workout.

“Xanders is coupling with us,” Shildt said Friday. “... My admiration for Xander Bogaerts went through the roof in this transition. … I can’t say it’s etched in stone 100 percent. We’re going to let him do it. We’re gonna see what it looks like. We’re gonna evaluate it. But he’s all in right now to go over (and) give it its full due.

“My admiration for him to be a good teammate, to recognize that we have an elite defender in Kimmy to go back and play shortstop, I just admire. It’s very impressive, and it speaks a lot for his team-first, I-care-about-our-group, big-picture (mentality).”

Kim, who was the Padres’ primary shortstop in 2022, won the a Gold Glove as the National League’s top utility defender last season.

Bogaerts was signed to an 11-year, $280 million contract before last season with the understanding that at some point he would move off the spot at which he had previously played 1,179 games in the major leagues. He started an additional 146 games at shortstop in 2023 and said at the end of the season that while he had not given it much thought, he was open to playing second.

There is some thought within the organization that the Padres would be best served with Jake Cronenworth at second base and Bogaerts at first. But Cronenworth, who primarily played second base his first three seasons before sliding over last season, will remain at first.

“Bogey came in here to be a shortstop,” Shildt said. “He’s a valuable guy in the middle of the field. Croney has already demonstrated he’s really good at first base. So let’s keep Bogey up the middle where he’s clearly done very well. … It’s a guy that we want to continue to have in the middle for his baseball IQ and his leadership.”

This was enough of a move for Bogaerts, who while expressing oppeness about moving last year was emphatic about not being ready to move over two spots.

“I don’t want that,” Bogaerts said in September of the possibility of playing first. “I see it this way: center field, shortstop, second base, that’s the the triangle. You start going to the corners, you’re closer to the bench. I don’t want to be too quick going (to first).”

Bogaerts will address the media Friday afternoon.

This story will be updated.