Ha-Seong Kim Predicted to Leave Padres for $60 Million Deal

Valentina Martinez | 20 Hours Ago

Aug 13, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim (7) throws to first base against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the third inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images / Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres are hoping to keep their payroll relatively level from 2024 to 2025, but that comes at a cost. Several Friars free agents will likely not be returning next season, including Ha-Seong Kim.

Kim declined his mutual option with the Padres and elected free agency. He's expected to sign a considerable offer as he is one of the most popular free agent middle infielders this offseason. Bleacher Report's Zachary Rymer predicts Kim to sign a four-year, $60 million contract with the Detroit Tigers.

Kim will miss the start of the 2025 season as he recovers from shoulder surgery on his throwing shoulder. Nonetheless, he's expected to get a strong contract from a team this winter. Kim recorded a .250/.336/.385 slash line over the past three seasons, and was six percent above league average at the plate.

Kim has recently been linked to the Los Angeles Dodgers, which would be extremely painful for Padres fans if he does end up signing with the NL West rival. As the Dodgers and Teoscar Hernández struggle to finalize a deal, there's a chance the team could pivot to Kim, according the The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

“The potential options, according to sources briefed on the team’s discussions, include infielder Ha-Seong Kim in free agency and Chicago Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki, Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. and others in trade,”Rosenthal wrote. “How serious the Dodgers are about those pursuits – and how realistic some of them might be – remains to be seen.”

While the Padres haven't made a huge splash in free agency thus far, president of baseball operations A.J. Preller hinted toward something unfolding soon.

“We definitely have a lot of things that we were able to do and could line up on,” Preller said at the Winter Meetings in Dallas. “We’ll see where it all takes us in the next couple weeks. … Even though we haven’t lined up on anything from a trade or free-agent standpoint, it’s been super active. Way further ahead from a knowledge standpoint today than we were when we got here on Sunday.”

More news: Potential Padres Free Agent Target Signs $75 Million Deal With NL Powerhouse