Padres Free Agent Predicted to Sign $14M Deal With AL Contender

Another day and another prediction for San Diego Padres free agent infielder Ha-Seong Kim.

This time, Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report has the Gold Glove winner heading to the American League West to join the Seattle Mariners.

Kelly predicted in a recent column that the Mariners would bring in Kim on a one-year, $14-million deal.

"The Seattle Mariners have done next to nothing to improve an offense that wasted arguably the top starting rotation in baseball last season, and Kim alone would hardly rectify what was the 21st-ranked offense in terms of runs scored in 2024," Kelly wrote.

"But Kim is an elite defender, who is capable of playing third or second base on a full-time basis, depending upon how the rest of the offseason plays out for president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto. He would also offer an insurance policy for J.P. Crawford at shortstop."

More news: Executives Wondering if Padres' Ownership Lawsuit Could Hurt Roki Sasaki Chances

If Seattle could get the 2023 version of Ha-Seong Kim, who hit 17 home runs, drove in 60 runs, walked 75 times, and stole 38 bases for the Padres, that would bring a much-needed offensive boost to the Mariners.

Even if his 2023 performance turns out to be an offensive outlier, Kim would likely still represent an upgrade over Ryan Bliss or Dylan Moore, who are currently expected to start in the infield.

Bliss appeared in 33 games with Seattle and batted .222 over 63 at-bats. Moore wasn't much better, finishing the season batting .201 after appearing in 135 games with 368 at-bats.

The thing that could be holding teams back from signing Kim is the fact that he will miss some time to begin the season. He is recovering from shoulder surgery that he had in October, which will delay his readiness for Opening Day.

However, his injury and the fact that his offensive game doesn’t rely heavily on power could make him more inclined to consider playing at T-Mobile Park compared to other position players still available in free agency.

If Kim is healthy and performs well, the Mariners could consider extending a qualifying offer to him next offseason. Alternatively, if Seattle finds itself out of contention, Kim could become a valuable trade asset by the summer.

One of the less likely suitors to land Kim is the Padres. In order for that to happen, they would likely have clear up some cap space which would force them to trade Luis Arraez or Jake Cronenworth.

More news: Padres Could Land $32M Pitcher, Top Prospect in Blockbuster Dylan Cease Trade Proposal