Padres Competing With NL West Rival for Top Free Agent Outfielder

Will a bidding war ensue here?

The San Diego Padres have a lot of work to do this off-season to challenge for a playoff berth in 2024. They have holes all over the roster, particularly after trading Juan Soto and Trent Grisham to the New York Yankees. Given their limited spending capability, it won't be easy to make moves.

San Diego must reduce its payroll for next season after two seasons of going all-in. They might still trim payroll before Opening Day of next year, but general manager A.J. Preller will try to keep the roster as competitive as possible. 

One player who the Padres are showing heavy interest in is Korean outfielder Jung-Hoo Lee. Lee was posted by his KBO team, allowing him to play in the United States, and could fill the outfield void left by Soto and Grisham.

Last season, Lee slashed .349/.421/.575 with 23 home runs. His bat would instantly slot into the lineup, giving the team another powerful left-handed hitter to use.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported the Padres are directly competing with their NL West division rival, the San Francisco Giants, for the service of Lee.

"The Padres appear to be at the forefront of talks involving Korean free-agent CF Jung Hoo Lee, and Lee especially makes sense now that the Padres have a couple new holes in their outfield. The Giants are another team interested in Lee."

Per Jon Heyman of The New York Post

Now that the Giants have missed out on two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, they could turn their attention to Lee. A bidding war might erupt between the two sides — a probable advantage for San Francisco, given their relative lack of spending constraints. 

The Giants entered the off-season determined to make a splash. Given their competitive bid for Ohtani, they might just have money just burning a hole in their pockets. Lee makes sense for both teams this offseason, and the Padres must show just how much.