Ha-Seong Kim Declines Mutual Option With Padres, Becomes Free Agent

Valentina Martinez | Nov 2, 2024

Oct 6, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim (7) looks on during warm ups before game two against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Infielder Ha-Seong Kim has declined his mutual option with the San Diego Padres and is now a free agent. The move was expected as Kim is poised to be one of the hottest free agent middle infielders on the market this offseason.

As Kim enters free agency, he will also be recovering from right labrum surgery. As the infielder looks to sign a considerable deal with another team, his timetable to return to play remains unclear.

The hope is that Kim will only have to miss just the start of the season, but it's likely that he will earn a sizable offer. Kim slashed .250/.336/.385 over the past three seasons, which is six percent above league average at the plate.

Kim hired Boras Corporation to represent him at the beginning of October. The move signaled the shortstop would become a free agent.

It marks his first trip through free agency after signing with the Padres in 2021 on a $28 million guaranteed contract. Kim was posted to MLB by the Kiwoom Heroes of South Korea's KBO in 2021. Without any restrictions this time around, Kim will test the market free of any burden.

Kim's defense will likely be the main selling point for his new club. In the last three seasons, Kim only trails Taylor Walls, Miguel Rojas, and Dansby Swanson in Outs Above Average. Kim's versatility allows him to showcase his abilities as an elite defender at second, third, and shortstop.

Padres general manager A.J. Preller is ready to work his offseason magic in the coming months as the organization hopes that 2025 is the year San Diego wins it all.

“I think the biggest thing I (am) focused on right now in our group is just kind of like knowing the landscape,” Preller told Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune. “Here’s the different possibilities, here’s what’s going to be out there, being open-minded to (where) different paths you take us to from a payroll standpoint. The only thing I’ve seen repeatedly when I’ve been here — and I think we’ve demonstrated — is we want to win. We’re here to win a championship. I think we’re going to do it responsibly. But we’re looking to win championships. We’re looking to get in the playoffs.

“And when you do that, if we need to have certain resources, we’ll have those conversations. But that’s really what the next couple months are for. And it’s not like, ‘Hey, you have to be at this price point to do X, Y or Z’  It’s gonna be a lot of different ways to do that. We’ve done it a lot of different ways over the last five years or so. And I think … we’re gonna get to over the next couple weeks and months, depending on what players are out there, what we need to do.”