The Padres have had to lock down a Wild Card spot without Ha-Seong Kim. The shortstop jammed his right shoulder diving into first base on a pickoff attempt on August 18. The Padres placed him on the injured list a couple days later with a diagnosis of shoulder inflammation.
San Diego initially expressed optimism it would be a short-term absence. Kim has instead been out for more than five weeks and is not on the verge of a return. Manager Mike Shildt provided a disappointing update on the Gwynn & Chris show on 97.3 The Fan in San Diego tonight (X link).
“He just hasn’t been able to get over that hump with his throwing,” Shildt said. “The hitting’s not a problem, that part’s good, but he hasn’t been able to consistently throw with anything behind it. … We’re still weighing what’s taking place, but right now, he’s not in a spot where we can count on him in the very near future.” In response to a follow-up question as to whether there’s a date at which the window for Kim to return this season officially closes, Shildt replied “there is, and we may be getting there.”
Making matters worse, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (on X) that Kim could require an offseason labrum repair. That’d be a brutal blow as he returns to free agency. The guaranteed portion of his four-year deal is coming to a close. As is the case with most players signing out of Korea or Japan, he’s eligible for free agency despite having less than six years of MLB service. Kim will decline his end of an $8MM mutual option for next season. He’ll collect a $2MM buyout and return to the market.
If healthy, he has a case for a strong four-year deal. Kim’s ability to play plus defense throughout the infield has been incredibly valuable. He stole 38 bases a season ago and has gone 22-27 on the basepaths this season. Kim doesn’t have overwhelming power, but he has gotten into double-digit home run territory in three straight years. He draws plenty of walks and rarely strikes out.
Kim hit .233/.330/.370 over 470 plate appearances during the regular season. He carries a .250/.336/.385 slash since the start of 2022. As of a couple months ago, Kim’s durability had ironically been one of his biggest selling points. This is the first time in his four MLB campaigns that he has landed on the injured list.
It’ll take at least a few more weeks to learn the impact of the injury on Kim’s free agent stock. The more immediate focus for the Padres is on their playoff infield. San Diego has kicked Xander Bogaerts back to the left side of the dirt. Jake Cronenworth has moved over to second base. That opens first base playing time for Donovan Solano and some defensive reps for primary DH Luis Arraez, with David Peralta drawing into the lineup at designated hitter while Arraez is in the field. The Padres called up Nick Ahmed last weekend to work as a defensive specialist behind Bogaerts.
It’s all fine because half of the padres roster can play short
But losing Kim, even in his down year, is a tough blow
He gets some of the loudest cheers at Petco. The fans definitely have missed him.
What we lack in originality of just chanting a name, we make up for it with enthusiasm! Petco literally rocks when Ha-Seong bats
I like him. Hopefully, he signs a deal with us. I would be comfortable for a 2 year deal with an option.
Although they fans chant his name backwards. It would be cool if they chanted his name like it’s done in Korea.
As of about 3 weeks ago, few in SD expected him back. Still, the prospect of offseason surgery is a tough blow to his FA
Padres should’ve traded Kim last offseason when his
value was its highest. Would’ve possibly cleared up the infield drama with Bogey and Kim.
And the fans would riot after trading away Soto and then Kim. Obv. that trade worked out for both sides.
Thank you captain hindsight
Two years ago when he was like Jackson Merrill
Good news for the Braves. Add an extra year or two, finally get a shortstop and move Arica back to utility.
Losing Kim for the playoffs is a tough blow for the team as well. Going to miss that defense.
Damn. Not unexpected, but still disappointing. Kim’s high energy play has been missed.
A guy with a 96 ops+ and needing a shoulder surgery will also decline a 8 million dollar salary for 2025? What is the writer smoking?
He can fetch more on the open market. I guess Anthony is smoking truth bombs…
If he has to have labrum surgery that would keep him out until June, would he be able to get more on the open market? Doubtful because his value is on defense and shoulder surgery on his throwing arm would nullify that value.
I’ll project that Ha-Seong will have many an interested suitor, BiL. His market will be hotly contested and the $/Yr will (more than likely…) be his deciding factor.
Let’s not get crazy here but, all things factored, I could see a 6 or 7 yr deal getting done.
7yr/$130MM ???
The market might go off; there’s a dearth of GG-caliber up-the-middle glove guys with a decent stick game beyond Adames. Let’s think of Ha-Seong as Adames Lite but with a better glove. The shoulder will heal.
Labrum repair surgery for a tear typically means one full year of recovery even though the player can return to playing in 6-8 months. It also usually means a big drop in power. I am not convinced he will even opt out if he needs that kind of surgery on his shoulder. Also not convinced he will get a long term deal until he proves he can throw at full velocity and that won’t happen until mid-season if he has surgery for a labrum tear. Having Tommy John is a more sure thing for the player to heal fully and return to full strength than labrum tear surgery to a throwing arm.
Kim is declining $6MM and will collect a $2MM buyout. Surgery or not, it’s an easy decision for a 28 y.o. SS who has 15.3 bWAR in his past four seasons.
You clearly know nothing about baseball contracts
It’s a mutual option. So which party has to say yea or nay first? If the Pads decide they’d be more than be happy to keep him for a net $6M, that could be an indicator that he’d have more value than that on the open market.
Obviously, his prognosis/possible recovery time will inform that choice for each of them.
Not saying they should, but could the Padres offer him a Qualifying Offer?
If he was healthy yes
Not if he’s going to require off season should surgery and be out till May-June as the earliest estimates.
They can use the QO money for better resources such as replacing Profar or resigning him, replacing Higgy or resigning, bringing back Perez on a 1 year deal. I’d also look into an extension with Arraez.
They could, but even a healthy Kim has not played up to the $21 million QO price tag for 2025. There is a $7.5 million mutual option for 2025 in his contact. He has to opt out of that before the QO even became something they would have to consider.
Yes but he will opt out and he is surely looking at a multi year deal so, not a big risk in making the QO to get a draft pick.
It was obvious he was going to be out long term with a shoulder injury, I called it but blind padres fans on here just wouldn’t accept it
Hey now, we’re not blind, we just got our blinders on.
Yet there is Glasnow only being out a few days …. Roberts and Dodgers are notoriously big on understating injuries.
Future Giant.
He Not Close is out so they bring in Juan inning Pitcher
If Kim has a tear in that shoulder that requires offseason labrum surgery there is a good chance he opts into his end of the mutual option for 2025. That is a surgery that often takes a full year to completely recover from.
Maybe, he probably still gets more than 6m from another team. Especially if he signs a multi year deal. Though one could make the case he should just sign a 1 year deal if he needs surgery.
If he has surgery it will also be interesting to see if the padres want to invest 6m into him next year. Probably 50/50 on him being a padre next year if he has surgery.
Poor guy is going to miss the playoffs