Padres Have Two of MLB's Top 21 Pending Free Agents: Report

J.P. Hoornstra | Aug 12, 2024

Aug 9, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; San Diego Padres designated hitter Luis Arraez (4) and relief pitcher Tanner Scott (66) celebrate their win against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports / Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports

Losing players to free agency is a common casualty of success. It's not necessarily something fans worry about in August, especially when their team is in contention, but for a front office it's practically a year-round concern.

In the Padres' case, two names stand out in particular.

Infielder Ha-Seong Kim and new reliever Tanner Scott are both eligible for free agency after the 2024 World Series ends. In Kim's case, there's a chance he will remain with the Padres under his current contract because it includes a mutual option for 2025.

That seems unlikely, however. Mutual options are rarely exercised in Major League Baseball. Aramis Ramirez and the Milwaukee Brewers exercised their ends of a mutual option prior to the 2015 season. Matt Belisle and the Colorado Rockies exercised theirs one year earlier. These might be the only examples of both teams accepting their ends of a mutual option in the last decade.

The reason, in short, is that the mutual option is an educated guess about the player's value one or more years in advance of his option deadline arriving. It's difficult for both a team and a player to line up precisely on that value to the decimal. So, let's assume Kim hits free agency.

If that's the case, the Padres will have two of baseball's top 21 free agents in less than three months, unless Kim and Tanner Scott sign extensions before then. That's where Jim Bowden of The Athletic ranked the two players among his top 50 as of today.

Here's what Bowden had to say about the free agent prospects of each player:

Tanner Scott is arguably the best left-handed closer in the National League. He was dominant for the Marlins, posting a 1.18 ERA over 44 appearances with 18 saves in 20 opportunities before being dealt to the Padres at the trade deadline. Opposing batters are hitting just .110 against his four-seam fastball and .169 against his slider.

- Jim Bowden, via The Athletic

Ha-Seong Kim had a breakout season last year, reaching base at a .351 clip with 23 doubles, 17 home runs, 60 RBIs and 38 stolen bases while playing mostly second base. However, when Mike Shildt took over as manager, he shifted Kim to shortstop full-time and he’s delivered there this season — he’s ranked in the 88th percentile in outs above average and in the 73rd percentile in arm strength. Offensively, he’s having a solid season but not as good as last year, with a .327 OBP, 15 doubles, 10 home runs and 21 stolen bases in 26 attempts. Kim has a $7 million mutual option for 2025 ($2 million buyout) that he will decline.

- Jim Bowden, via The Athletic

The problem with any list is that it depends on the needs and budgets of the teams involved in free agency.

Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Willy Adames is the only middle infielder ranked higher on Bowden's list than Kim. Should the same teams be interested in both players, a bidding war could ensue, pushing the value of Kim's next contract higher than one could foresee on Aug. 12.

The same goes for Scott; some teams might prefer right-handers Clay Holmes or Carlos Estevez to Scott for a variety of reasons. If a bidding war ensues among teams interested in the three players, it'll be interesting to see how high Scott's contract goes.

For the Padres, it's time to enjoy both players in brown and gold while they're here. They could be gone soon.