The scoop on how SD's infield is shaping up
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This story was excerpted from AJ Cassavell's Padres Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
On Monday, we sized up the Padres¡¯ situation at first base (and, by extension, at DH). Today¡¯s newsletter will take a look at the rest of the infield -- where things seem relatively settled for the foreseeable future.
Or are they? The Padres have north of $600 million tied up in the trio of Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth. And while the likeliest outcome is that they open the season with that trio occupying third, short and second, respectively, there remains a possibility for a shakeup.
More on that in a moment, but first a look at where things stand, organizationally:
On the 40-man roster: Machado, Cronenworth, Bogaerts, Luis Arraez, Tyler Wade, Eguy Rosario
Departures: Donovan Solano, Ha-Seong Kim, Nick Ahmed
Top-30 prospects: Leodalis De Vries (Padres No. 2 prospect, MLB Pipeline¡¯s No. 28 overall), Kale Fountain (Padres No. 10), Cobb Hightower (No. 15), Rosman Verdugo (No. 17)
What could change before Opening Day?
The Padres¡¯ default setting is clearly this: Machado at third, Bogaerts at short and Cronenworth at second. That¡¯s precisely where they ended last season after Kim¡¯s injury. Of course, there are two ways that plan would change -- one via addition and one via subtraction.
If the Padres were to add to their infield, there¡¯s a case they should do so at short. Bogaerts proved a solid defender at second base last season (though I wouldn¡¯t go as far as manager Mike Shildt did, in calling him Gold Glove caliber). Cronenworth is clearly an upgrade defensively at first base over Arraez. If the Padres were to, say, explore a reunion with Kim, it would significantly bolster their defense and solve their DH conundrum.
Then again, there are bigger question marks on this roster than shortstop, particularly considering that the Padres¡¯ current infield is perfectly viable. If they are going to add to that mix, it¡¯s just as likely they would do so after dealing a certain player elsewhere¡
Could the Padres deal Cronenworth?
Of the potential trade candidates on the Padres¡¯ roster, Cronenworth is not likeliest to be moved. Two reasons. First, he¡¯s still owed six years and about $72 million, and he probably wouldn¡¯t fetch the level of return that a few other trade chips could. Second, well, the Padres would find themselves with a hole to fill in their infield.
That doesn¡¯t mean a Cronenworth trade is out of the realm of possibility. Just that it seems far more likely that he stays. But if the Padres were to deal Cronenworth, they¡¯d need to bring someone else in to fill his spot.
Presumably, that type of trade would prompt Bogaerts¡¯ permanent transition to second base. (Sure, Arraez can play there, but a Bogaerts-Arraez middle infield is untenable.) Not to mention, any trade involving Cronenworth would fetch some measure of return, so perhaps the Padres acquire a middle-infield replacement that way.
In any case, the Padres probably aren¡¯t looking for a long-term solution -- merely a stopgap.
What does the future hold?
Bogaerts and Machado are on board for the long haul. But even if Bogaerts plays at short in 2025, his future is at second base. That much became clear when the Padres moved him there last spring in deference to Kim.
What does that mean for Cronenworth? Well, his versatility will always be incredibly useful, and he¡¯s proven himself capable at first. Perhaps he sticks there -- or perhaps those trade rumors come to fruition eventually.
As for shortstop, the Padres view De Vries, their 18-year-old No. 2 prospect, as the future at the position. He produced a standout summer in his first pro season, though it was sandwiched by a pair of shoulder injuries which slowed him at the beginning and end of the year. The team¡¯s evaluators rave about his upside. Don¡¯t be surprised if he finds himself between Machado and Bogaerts soon enough.
The verdict
For all the question marks, this Padres infield remains one of the best in baseball. That¡¯s largely a credit to Machado, whose production has him on a Hall of Fame trajectory.
Around him, there¡¯s clearly a lot to parse. But these are hardly the most pressing questions on the Padres roster. If they line up with an Opening Day infield of Machado-Bogaerts-Cronenworth-Arraez, they¡¯d be perfectly content with it. The biggest holes are elsewhere.