The Padres Show Off Their Newest Superstar

 

The San Diego Padres made a pitch to Aaron Judge before he ended up signing with the New York Yankees.

They were also in on several other free agents: you could say with certainty that they have money to spend.

Coincidentally, they also had (and have) the desire to make a statement to the league: they just got to the National League Championship Series, and they are hungry for more.

That’s why they swooped in and “hijacked” the Boston Red Sox’s negotiations with shortstop Xander Bogaerts.

Hijack is not the best word, in fact, because he was a free agent and could sign with any team.

While the Red Sox’s offer reportedly didn’t even reach $200 million, the Padres came in and offered $280 million to lure the star out of Beantown.

They succeeded.

The player signed an 11-year contract worth that much money, changing his financial future and that of his family in a hurry.

The Padres officially unveiled their new signing on Monday.

Yeah, that’s a good look. pic.twitter.com/H9gW0qWpB0

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) December 10, 2022

 

Bogaerts Is Rocking A Padres Jersey For The First Time

They tweeted a picture of Bogaerts wearing a Padres uniform for the first time.

Since making his MLB debut in 2013, Bogaerts hadn’t known another team that wasn’t the Red Sox.

He managed to post some incredible numbers with the Sox, and earned the chance to test the market after exercising an opt-out clause present in his previous six-year, $120 million extension signed before the 2019 campaign.

He is a career .292/.356/.458 hitter with 156 homers and a 118 wRC+ to this point.

He has two World Series championships and was born to hit.

Now, the Padres team that got to the NLCS will add Fernando Tatis Jr. and Bogaerts to the equation next year.

Their lineup is looking scary, and they already have a top pitching staff.

Things will be very interesting in the National League in 2023.