Padres News: Pundit Suggests Friars Trade Ha-Seong Kim in Deal for Superstar Bat
![Padres News: Pundit Suggests Friars Trade Ha-Seong Kim in Deal for Superstar Bat Padres News: Pundit Suggests Friars Trade Ha-Seong Kim in Deal for Superstar Bat](https://www.si.com/.image/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/MTk4OTQ3Nzk0ODM1MjIwMjQx/usatsi_19251333_168396005_lowres1.jpg)
As we sit here at the end of June, the San Diego Padres are at a crossroads.
Despite having one of the highest payrolls in MLB and superstars like Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado anchoring their lineup, San Diego isn't winning very many games, have fallen to fourth place in the NL West, and have a manager in Bob Melvin who's feeling the need to play all of their stars in an effort to climb out of that hole.
But a beacon of hope still remains for the Padres outside of their organization, and that's the fact that trade season is around the corner with the August 1 trade deadline approaching.
And they may just find a willing trade partner in a historic franchise that's fallen on hard times -- and one that also has a bat that could go a long way toward putting the Padres on the right track.
Robbie Hyde of Bleacher Report proposed a potential trade that would see them deal versatile infielder Ha-Seong Kim to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for their prolific hitting first baseman in Paul Goldschmidt.
The addition of Goldschmidt, who's slashing .286/.376/.486 with 13 home runs and 40 RBI this season, would put another significant bat into the Padres lineup and potentially help them start to turn around their struggles.
For the Cardinals, bringing in Kim to the organization would help them improve their surprisingly subpar defense -- normally considered to be a hallmark of their franchise over the years.
But it's a bizarre year for St. Louis, who find themselves in last place in their division and may turn their team into a seller's market.
If they do decide to offload some of their stars, Goldschmidt -- who's under team control until the end of the 2024 season -- would be an attractive option for many teams around MLB including San Diego, who are in desperate need to change their fortune or risk falling completely out of playoff contention.