SAN ANTONIO — The Padres don’t yet know for sure whether Xander Bogaerts will play shortstop or second base in 2025.

But they plan on Bogaerts knowing which position he will play sooner than he did in ‘24.

“I think probably we’ll try to have some information earlier for him this year than we did last year,” Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller said Wednesday at the General Manager Meetings. “I think it was cool the way he handled things. I was a little late, because we had a lot of questions about the roster. … So well get to Xander here in a little bit to have that conversation, be respectful of him. … We’ll have that conversation with him here sooner rather than later.”

Bogaerts did not know he would be asked to switch to second base — a position he had never played — until he arrived at spring training in February. He learned second base on the fly and attributed some hip issues to the different movements required and effort he was putting in to adjusting to the new spot.

Bogaerts, who started 1,319 games at shortstop from 2014-23, moved back to short for the final 2½ weeks of last season after Ha-Seong Kim went down with a shoulder injury.

Kim, who had labrum surgery in October and is expected to miss at least the first month of the season, is a free agent and is looking for a multi-year deal far richer than the Padres are willing to pay.

Bogaerts playing shortstop for the Padres in ‘25 seems to be the club’s most likely path.

The Padres anticipate needing only a temporary solution, as the hope is that prospect Leo De Vries is playing the position for them in 2026.

Same (but different) at the top

The Padres are looking forward to another season with Luis Arraez batting leadoff for them.

It seems they would like some concession for the $13 million or so they will be paying him.

“He’s going to go out and rake,” Preller said when asked about the value Arraez provides in his final year of arbitration eligibility. “… The question, I think, for him is going to be, does he tighten it up and can he take the on-base percentage higher.”

Arraez, who played through a torn ligament in his left thumb the final three months of the season, hit .314 in 2024 (.318 with the Padres) to win his third consecutive batting title in 2024. But his .346 on-base percentage was the lowest of his six MLB seasons. His 3.6% walk rate was less than half the 7.9% rate he brought into 24.

The Padres would like Arraez to reach base at a clip much closer to his .379 career mark in his first five seasons.

“I dont think its like he cant,” Preller said. “I think he chooses to hit versus taking a walk and getting on base. I think he can make an adjustment. To me, he’s very valuable.”

Parting with Pro?

The Padres would like to have Jurickson Profar back in left field, and Profar would like to stay in San Diego.

But he is testing free agency, and people around the league and at least somewhat familiar with the thinking of both sides believe it is unlikely Profar returns to San Diego.

Multiple projections have Profar making between $12 and $16 million a year on a three-year deal following his best big-league campaign. That is almost certainly more than the Padres are willing to pay. If the market is not quite that robust, some around the league speculated the mutual appreciation between Profar and the Padres could lead to a reunion on a lesser deal.

The Padres and Profar’s agent talked this week but did not discuss money.

Lay of the land

In addition to attending seminars on rules and regulations at a forested resort replete with grazing deer, Preller and a handful of his lieutenants spent time this week assessing the free agent and trade market.

Armed with that intelligence, Preller will meet with team chairman Eric Kutsenda and CEO Erik Greupner next week to get some clarity on what payroll will be for 2025.

The Padres, who seek at least one starting pitcher and a left fielder, could work trades to help shape their roster and keep payroll in the $200 to $210 million range.

While the Padres’ system is thin on major league-ready talent, the industry sees them as rich in lower-level, high-ceiling pitching. It is conceivable one or more of those young pitchers could be packaged with a higher-priced veteran being traded away to not only acquire major league talent but provide additional payroll flexibility.

King’s ransom

Among the players the Padres could talk to about a long-term deal this winter is starting pitcher Michael King, who is due a significant raise in his final year of arbitration eligibility.

While the Padres are interested in keeping King and he grew to love San Diego, the likelihood of the sides reaching a multi-year deal soon seems low.

The 29-year-old King, who is projected to make between $8 million and $11 million in 25, could command upwards of $20 million a year on a long-term contract in 2026 if he follows up last season (30 starts, 2.95 ERA) with a comparable campaign.

Japanese infusion?

Major league clubs are awaiting word on whether star Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki will be posted this offseason.

If he is, the 23-year-old right-hander will be affordable for virtually every team. Because he is under 25, he would only be eligible to sign a minor-league contract. That means his bonus would be around $7 million, and he would make the MLB minimum salary. By waiting until he is 25, his Japanese team, the Chiba Lotte Marines, would stand to make a substantially larger posting fee. (That fee is based on the size of the MLB contract the player signs.)

The Padres, like many teams, have extensively scouted Sasaki. They also have spent significant time watching 35-year-old Tomoyuki Sugano, who is coming to MLB after going 136-75 in 12 seasons in Japan.

There is also right-hander Yusei Kikuchi, who went 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 10 starts for the Astros after being acquired at the trade deadline. The 33-year-old left-hander, who has pitched six seasons in the majors, will almost certainly be the most expensive of the three.