The San Diego Padres were dealt a tough blow amid their series against the Minnesota Twins when it was announced that shortstop Xander Bogaerts would likely miss the remainder of the regular season with a broken bone in his foot.
Finding a replacement shortstop this late in the year is tough, and while Jose Iglesias and potentially even Jake Cronenworth could take over in Bogaerts’ absence, another potential option could be on the table.
However, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Padres are insisting that this strange plan, to move Jackson Merrill to shortstop, isn’t in the cards for the team.
Padres Aren’t Likely to Make This Strange Decision
“They insist there is no plan to move former shortstops Fernando Tatis Jr. or Jackson Merrill from outfield to shortstop.” Nightengale writes.
In theory, moving one of those outfielders to shortstop, and playing Gavin Sheets, Ramon Laureano, and/or Ryan O’Hearn, and the other outfielder every day, would be the best way to construct the lineup in Bogaerts’ absence.
But the defense, if such a decision were to be made, would be a huge concern. With shortstop being one of the most important defensive positions in baseball, trying out Merrill or Tatis at shortstop would be a strange decision to make.
If this move were tested in the offseason and during Spring Training, and worked on over the course of the entire year, it’d be a different story. But amid a push to win the World Series, it’d be a baffling move from the Padres.
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On paper, it could work, but in reality, it’s a huge risk. Merrill is banged up as it is and is slowly working his way back. There’s little upside or reason to move him to shortstop, especially when he’s not 100 percent.
Tatis makes a little more sense, as he has MLB experience playing shortstop. But, he’s incredibly valuable in right field, and the rotation of Iglesias and Cronenworth should be enough to close out the regular season.
The loss of Bogaerts stings, and while replacing him in the lineup won’t be easy, moving Merrill or even Tatis back to shortstop makes no sense for the Padres.
As Nightengale reports, the Padres are insisting such a move won’t occur. Even if Merrill was perfectly healthy, it’d still be a baffling decision to make, and fortunately, such a move isn’t coming for the Padres.
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