Padres Free Agent Linked to Yankees in Potential Surprise Signing

Aug 17, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; San Diego Padres third base Tyler Wade (14) and catcher Kyle Higashioka (20) and third base Manny Machado (13) and second base Xander Bogaerts (2) and shortstop Ha-Seong Kim (7) celebrate defeating the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres have had an uneventful offseason.

There have been no major-league additions to their roster, and no signs of improving the current team.

As things currently stand with the untouched roster, the Padres are still contenders. The Padres' 2024 season got them 93 regular season wins and to the last game of the NLDS against the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

The home support was also never stronger than this past year. The Padres set an attendance record of over 3.3 million fans making their way to Petco Park.

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A move that the Padres were 'cautiously optimistic' on making would have been the move of the offseason in signing Roki Sasaki.

Sasaki, however, turned down a larger offer from San Diego to join the Los Angeles Dodgers to continue the quiet offseason.

Even if San Diego isn't quite looking to outside talent around the league, retaining the current roster is at the very least what should be done.

The Padres have avoided arbitration with Luis Arraez, Dylan Cease, Jason Adam, and Luis Campusano, which is a good start. But San Diego still faces its first arbitration case since 2014 with Michael King.

Padres and Michael King did not settle by 10 a.m. PT deadline.
Padres could be headed to first arbitration hearing since 2014.

— Kevin Acee (@sdutKevinAcee) January 9, 2025

As for free agents, utility man Ha-Seong Kim is currently on the market. He's unlikely to come back, and Fox Sports baseball insiders Deesha Thosar and Rowan Kavner recently linked Kim to the New York Yankees. Losing the infielder, let alone to the American League pennant winners, would be a giant blow to a tough offseason.

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The Yankees are a team that will not spare any expense in bringing talent to their roster, especially with a glaring infield need after losing second baseman Gleyber Torres to the Detroit Tigers.

The Gold Glove award winner has spent all four of his MLB seasons in San Diego after arriving in December 2020.

This past season for Kim was slightly down, but still very productive, hitting .233/.330/.370 with 47 RBIs and a WAR of 2.6.

The Padres don't need to repeat the 2023 offseason spending spree of $381 million, but they do at least need to keep their contending team together as the rest of MLB appears to continue to improve everywhere. And most importantly, they need to start making some moves.

More news: Padres Losing Roki Sasaki to Dodgers is Massive Failure for Organization