Proposed Jackson Merrill position switch would be classic overthinking by the Padres

San Diego Padres fans will fondly remember the 2024 season, not only for their remarkable turnaround despite the team's offseason sell-off, but also the emergence of Jackson Merrill. The rookie outfielder was certainly a highly regarded prospect coming into the season, but few expected him to be such an integral part of the Padres' lineup from the moment Merrill was added to the Opening Day roster.

What makes Merrill's ascension all the more remarkable was his ability to learn an entirely new position. A shortstop by trade in the minor leagues, the Padres found themselves in need of an outfielder this spring. Merrill impressed the Padres' coaching staff enough to convince them that he could make the switch.

Merrill's history of playing the infield already has some Padres' experts looking ahead of the offseason. With the strong likelihood that Ha-Seong Kim will leave in free agency, Padres' radio hosts Ben Higgins and Steven Woods (Ben & Woods on 93.7 The Fan) believe that moving Merrill back to shortstop has merit over the team's other options.

Padres moving Merrill back to shortstop would create more problems than it would solve

This isn't a completely crazy idea. Merrill certainly had the chops to make it to the big leagues at shortstop. The idea that Merrill, who has already shown that he can adapt to whatever defensive position he asked to play, could excel at short is tempting.

But the problems here are a few too many to realistically overcome. Merrill has transformed into a an excellent defender in center field with 12 outs above average (OAA) in 2024. While it's possible for San Diego to find another defensive-minded outfielder to play center if the Padres moved Merrill, there's no chance they would find one on the free agent or trade market who would bring a similar offensive profile.

The Padres already have the likes of Jake Cronenworth and Xander Bogaerts playing out of position in order to accommodate Kim. If the Padres decide instead to just do what they did after Kim's injury and move Bogaerts back to shortstop, San Diego should be fine and could potentially free up an infield spot without having to commit anymore of their limited resources this offseason.

Is Bogaerts as good defensively at shortstop as Kim? No, he isn't. However, Bogaerts is still a serviceable shortstop and is already under contract. The veteran has shown a real upside on both sides of the ball in the past. Moving Merrill to shortstop would simply create different problems for the Padres' 2025 roster and completely give away one of the biggest defensive gifts they received this season.

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