The Padres have found themselves in an unexpected predicament. Despite their preference for players with positional expertise, San Diego could be looking for a shortstop. The majority of those players (Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts, Jackson Merrill, and Jake Cronenworth) were moved away from shortstop. Ha-Seong Kim will become a free agent after declining his mutual option in favour of a $2 million buyout. Kim is one of the most difficult free agents to forecast with a season-ending labrum injury that necessitated surgery.
A.J. Preller, president of San Diego baseball operations, addressed the situation during a conference call with media on Monday (via AJ Cassavell of MLB.com and Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune). Preller stated that the Padres “would love to bring (Kim) back” but noted the injury’s unclear timeline.
According to Kevin Acee of the Union-Tribune, Kim plans to return in April or May. Preller left the issue somewhat open-ended. The official stated that Kim is not expected to begin a throwing regimen until close to the start of the season. In terms of a return to game activity, Preller mentioned “May, June, and July” as possible outcomes.
It is certainly too early in the rehabilitation process for the Padres to focus on a specific aim. That uncertainty should effectively rule out the possibility of San Diego offering Kim a qualifying offer. The 29-year-old infielder would most certainly accept a $21.05 million contract, which is too much for the Padres to risk, especially since Kim is expected to start the season on the injured list.
Preller and his staff also lost major free agents in the bullpen (Tanner Scott), left field (Jurickson Profar), and behind the plate (Kyle Higashioka). The relief corps should be strong enough to survive Scott’s departure, but the Padres will need to fill a few holes in the lineup while also replacing the injured Joe Musgrove in the rotation. This could make it tough to keep Kim.
Even if the Padres decide to bring him back, they’ll need a temporary substitute while he recovers. If he walks, they will require a permanent solution. Bogaerts shifted back from second base for the stretch run. The Padres appear to favour him at shortstop, albeit they may have no better options.
Machado and Cronenworth haven’t performed there in years. Neither has Tatis, who has been a full-time right fielder since recovering from the injuries and suspension that ended his 2022 season. Merrill began his career as a shortstop prospect before quickly transitioning to centre field. The 21-year-old quickly established himself as one of the game’s best all-around centre fielders.
Preller didn’t appear to like the idea of shifting Tatis or Merrill back to the infield.
“They’d probably love that possibility. They always joke around — ’Whatever’s needed,’” the baseball ops president said. “The great part of those guys is they’re talented athletes, they can play different spots. … But Tati winning the Platinum [Glove] two years ago, and Jackson doing a tremendous job in center field this year, we know that they’re really good at what they do in the outfield.”
There hasn’t been much real discussion about Tatis returning to shortstop. It’s a conceivable scenario for Merrill, who merely moved from shortstop to make room for Kim and appears to be adaptable to whatever position the Padres assign him.
However, given Merrill’s performance this season, it is tempting to keep him in centre field. San Diego lacks an obvious in-house candidate to take over centre if Merrill returns to the infield. They’d probably need to sign a centre fielder, and the free agency market at that position is incredibly thin. There isn’t much depth at shortstop, with only Willy Adames and Kim, if healthy, looking like regulars.
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