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The San Diego Padres had another good season in 2024, bringing the championship-winning Los Angeles Dodgers to the brink of elimination in the NLDS. However, they could have a new-look lineup in 2025 if veteran infielder Ha-Seong Kim leaves.
Kim opted out of his contract, while relief pitcher Wandy Peralta opted into the '25 season, via The San Diego Union-Tribune's Jeff Sanders.
“We’ll keep gathering information on the injury standpoint, where that leaves him [Kim] and us,” Padres General Manager A.J. Preller said. “Ha-Seong’s a very talented player. I think we felt that at the end of the year, not having him here. It definitely was a blow. And he’s a guy who plays the game with a ton of energy.”
“He’s an intelligent baseball player. He defends the field really well. He can play all different spots, take a walk, he can hit a home run. He can steal a base. That’s the way we evaluate him, and that’s a really talented and valuable player. From our standpoint, we'd love to bring him back. We've just got to get into [the offseason], and see where that leaves us.”
Kim has spent all four of his MLB seasons in San Diego. The shortstop, second baseman, and third baseman has slashed .242/.326/.380 with 47 homers, 200 RBI, and 78 stolen bases over that span.
Meanwhile, Peralta signed with the Padres in February 2024 after three years with the New York Yankees. The southpaw was 3-2 with a 3.99 ERA in 46 appearances this past season.
Ha-Seong Kim would be a big loss for Padres
Kim's positional versatility and speed on the basepaths make him an invaluable asset. Every team needs a Swiss-army knife-type player who gets on base and does the little things, and the 29-year-old's .706 career OPS proves him to be a reliable complimentary piece.
Kim loves playing for the Padres, via MLB.com's AJ Cassavell.
“Obviously, San Diego's a huge part of me,” he said late in the 2024 season, through interpreter David Lee. “Along the four years, we fought to get the World Series trophy every year, made great memories. The team almost feels like family to me now.”
Kim will certainly command attention in free agency, so San Diego will have to make a competitive offer to retain him.
