User talk:Bogaerts accepts move to second base, “With Kim Ha-seong at shortstop, our team will get better”
San Diego Padres infielder Xander Bogaerts, who lost his long-held shortstop position to Kim Ha-sung, opened up his thoughts.
After spring camp training at Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Arizona, on the 17th (Korea time), Bogaerts met with reporters and shared his thoughts on changing his position.
Having played shortstop in 1,338 out of 1,391 games in the Major League, he plans to give up the shortstop position to Kim and move to the second base starting this season. The measure is taken to maximize Kim's defense capability.
After talking with coach Mike Shildt earlier in the day, he decided to change his position and clearly stated his goal, saying, "The only reason I'm here is to win the World Series."
"If I can win this way, I will," he said, adding that he has accepted a position change to help his team win.
"I respect Kimmy (Kim Ha-sung's nickname) for his defensive ability as a player. I think our team will get better," he said, acknowledging that watching shortstop Kim Ha-sung would be a better option for his team.
Second base is an unfamiliar position for him, who has never played second base in the major leagues.
"It's going to be a little hard to see the player in front while you're playing double," he said, adding that he will need time to adjust to the new position.
The Padres, who are in their second year of an 11-year, $280 million contract, said they had discussed the possibility of a position change during contract negotiations but "didn't expect it to come this soon" and moved faster than expected.
"I've been playing baseball for a long time and I just want to keep winning," he said, reiterating his willingness to accept anything to win the team
"I took him to a well-known restaurant in the area, so I thought we wouldn't have to talk about changing positions," he said with a smile when he met coach Mike Shildt, who was visiting his hometown of Aruba during the offseason.
He thanked Silt for visiting in person, saying, "You didn't have to do it, but you're here."
"It's a new season and a lot of new faces have arrived. I'm looking forward to preparing for the season with them," he said, expressing his expectations for the new season.
