Padres Reportedly Shopping Ha-Seong Kim for Pitching Help

Could Kim be on the move?

The San Diego Padres have already made moves that have shaken up the MLB world this offseason (looking at you, Juan Soto). As we approach the 2024 season, the Friars may not be done trading key pieces. 

The Padres are in desperate need of pitching, and as things stand, the possibility of moving a star infielder continues to rise. According to MLB insider from USA Today, Bob Nightengale, the Padres are actively shopping infielder Ha-Seong Kim. 

"The San Diego Padres continue to shop valuable infielder Ha-Seong Kim, who earns $8 million in the final year of his contract, in their attempt to land pitching."

(per Bob Nightengale via USA Today)

The Padres have a lack of pitching depth thanks to multiple key departures this offseason. They currently have Yu Darvish and Jose Musgrove, and... that's about it. Reigning Cy Young winner, Blake Snell, is unlikely to return, and they've already lost Seth Lugo, Nick Martinez and Michael Wacha from last year's rotation.

To fill the needs in the rotation, the Padres may need to trade Kim, similar to how they traded Soto for four controllable pitchers.

The 28-year-old Kim had the best season of his young career in 2023, as he recorded career highs across the board. The Korean star slashed .260/.351/.398 with a .749 OPS, 17 home runs, and 60 RBIs in 152 games. 

Kim is in the last year of his four-year deal and due for a huge contract next offseason. If the Padres don't want to pay what it'll take to land him, they may be better off moving him this offseason and netting a return.

San Diego may not want to trade Kim, but if they get a great offer, they may have no choice. He's a rising star in this league, but the Padres already have three high-paid All-Stars on their payroll in Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts. The contracts of Darvish and Jake Cronenworth aren't helping, either.