The San Diego Padres have some tough decisions to make.
One of those will involve Gold Glove infielder Ha-Seong Kim, who will be a free agent unless both sides exercise an $8 million mutual option this offseason.
Kim is set to earn a significant payday this offseason, with projections suggesting a five-year deal worth $63 million. A team is likely to offer him that kind of contract, given his versatility across the infield, his Gold Glove defense, and his consistent offensive performance.
FanSided’s Christopher Kline predicted he won’t be back.
“Ha-seong Kim missed the last couple months with a shoulder injury and was nowhere to be seen in the Padres’ five-game defeat at the hands of LA,” Kline said. “Now he enters free agency, assuming both sides don’t agree to a paltry $7 million mutual option. This was not Kim’s best season at the plate, but he remains valuable at a high-leverage position. Teams will line up to sign such a productive shortstop…
“Despite his struggles this season, Kim remains one of the most disciplined hitters in the MLB. He gets the bat on the ball, even when he’s not hitting for power. The defensive range and arm strength is top-notch, and Kim is a threat to steal 30-plus bases when he’s healthy. Somebody who misses out on Willy Adames or a Bo Bichette trade will drop the bag. Of course, that will all depend on how well he recovers from surgery to repair a torn labrum.”
Initially, Kim and the Padres didn’t think his season-ending shoulder injury was serious. However, further evaluation revealed a tear.
While he was able to keep swinging the bat without much issue, he couldn’t reach full strength during his throwing sessions. He tried to field ground balls but ultimately, Kim chose surgery and shifted his focus to returning healthy in 2025.
Dennis Lin of The Athletic asked Kim in late September if he thought he had played his last game as a Padre. At the time, Kim wasn’t focused on that.
“I haven’t been really able to focus on that. … All I can say is I think the San Diego Padres have a legitimate chance to win it all, and the fans have been wanting their World Series trophy for a long time. But anything can happen in the future, so we’ll see.”
After facing challenges as a reserve in his first big-league season, he emerged as a versatile starter, accumulating 10.5 FanGraphs WAR from 2022 to 2024. Last season, he made history as the first Asian-born infielder to win a Gold Glove.
Wherever he plays in 2025, Kim will always be remembered by the fans as a clubhouse favorite, along with being a key contributor on the field.
