SAN DIEGO — Just after 5 a.m. local time on Wednesday, Padres general manager A.J. Preller woke to bad news: He had missed out on the player he wanted his team to acquire. Fourteen hours later, he completed a deal that will give Red Sox fans a similarly frustrating morning when they awake and check their phones on Thursday.
The Padres entered the offseason targeting shortstop Trea Turner. When he spurned their reported $342 million offer and signed with the Phillies on Monday, they pivoted to right fielder Aaron Judge. Even as Judge re-signed with the Yankees on Wednesday morning before giving San Diego a chance to make a formal offer, someone familiar with the process said, Preller was already negotiating with 30-year-old shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who after a decade in Boston accepted a reported 11-year, $280 million deal with the Padres.