The San Diego Padres may be looking for a new shortstop this offseason, despite having a squad full of players with shortstop expertise. That is the reality, though, as general manager AJ Preller does not appear interested in shifting Fernando Tatis Jr. or Jackson Merrill to the infield.
With shortstop Ha-Seong Kim anticipated to opt out of the final year of his contract, the Padres have plenty of internal choices to replace him. Preller simply does not want to disrupt what has shown to be effective.
“They’d probably love that possibility,” he told journalists about Tatis and Merrill. “They always joke, ‘Whatever’s needed.'” The beautiful thing about them men is that they’re talented athletes.
“They can play multiple positions. But Tati won the Platinum [Glove] two years ago, and Jackson did an excellent job in centre field this year, so we know they’re really good in the outfield.”
Tatis, 25, has played 242 major league games as a shortstop but has spent the previous two years exclusively in right field. Merrill, a rookie, played only centre field in his first season in the majors but played 196 games at shortstop in the minors.
If the Padres do not want to trade a current player, they can attempt to bring Kim back or pursue another free-agent shortstop, such as Willy Adames.
The Padres’ internal shortstop choices range from Fernando Tatis Jr. to Manny Machado.
As Preller stated, Tatis is a former platinum glove winner, therefore there is no reason to move him from right field. Despite Statcast rating him as an outfielder with slightly below-average range, he possesses one of the greatest arms in the game to compensate for it.
Merrill was one of the greatest outfielders in baseball as a rookie, earning 12 outs over average according to Baseball Savant, and he also has a powerful arm.
Fortunately for the Padres, Manny Machado, Jake Cronenworth, and Xander Bogaerts can all play shortstop and are under contract for next season. Bogaerts returned to shortstop in September after Kim had a labrum injury.
If Kim returns to San Diego, Bogaerts may simply stay until the 29-year-old finishes his rehab, which is expected to be within a few months of the start of next season.
If the Padres lose Kim and do not sign Adames, a permanent replacement from within becomes much more realistic. Without a rich shortstop free-agent market, it may be more appealing to move Cronenworth back to shortstop and pursue a high-profile first baseman, such as Pete Alonso.
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