San Diego landed Sung Mun Song on a four-year, $15MM deal last week. The KBO star is headed toward a versatile role with the Padres, which could include opportunities in the outfield. Song never appeared in the outfield during his time in the KBO, but manager Craig Stammen mentioned the position as a possibility.
“Wherever we can get his bat in the lineup, that’s what we’re going to try to do. And we want to find a spot for him where he can be productive for the Padres, and there’s a lot of different places that I think he can fit,” Stammen told reporters, including Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News.
Song has bounced around the diamond in his career, spending considerable time at first base, second base, and third base. He’s been mostly at the hot corner in recent seasons, including 108 starts at the position in 2025. The Padres obviously have Manny Machado locked in at third base, though he could spend more time at DH as he enters his age-33 season.
The right side of San Diego’s infield is far less settled. Luis Arraez is a free agent, which leaves Jake Cronenworth and Gavin Sheets as candidates for first base. Mason McCoy and Will Wagner are the current options at second base, along with Cronenworth. Song might have the inside track for reps at the keystone, given the unproven competition.
The Padres’ outfield is set in stone with the trio of Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, and Ramon Laureano, so it’s interesting that Stammen mentioned Song as an option on the grass. He did reference the Dodgers and their usage of players like Enrique Hernandez, Miguel Rojas, and Tommy Edman as an example of an elite team with movable parts. Song could match the multi-faceted defensive contributions of those players, even if the outfield discussion doesn’t amount to in-season reps.
Finding ways to get Song’s bat in the lineup makes sense, considering his recent production in the KBO. The lefty hit a career-high .340 in 2024, while also setting career-best marks in home runs (19) and stolen bases (21). Song followed it up with a 25/25 campaign that included a career-high 103 runs scored. He’s always had good plate discipline, but Song has added a new level of power recently. After four straight seasons with a sub-.375 slugging percentage, he’s been above .500 the past two years.
Photo courtesy of Mike Watters, Imagn Images
Versatility is a good thing…
Laureano hit surprisingly well last year and tatis is tatis so it’s smart for them to be prepared for a steroid suspension
You mean Fraudnando Tatis?
You mean where Tatis Jr was caught using a substance that’s legal in his native Dominican Republic and found in over the counter medication but is a controlled substance in the USA?
Yeah sounds like the next Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens where you’re gonna find needles and beer cans all over the place
Or, you know, rub those last two brain cells together and realize the mlb drug policy probably needs updating to reflect foreign country policies considering about 30% of just rosters are foreign born players, not including minor leagues.
Prepare for a steroid suspension???
History tends to repeat itself.
When it comes to steroids history has repeated itself maybe 4 or 5 times out of 86 different players suspended since 2005 Ramirez, Cano, and Jenrry Mejia are the only major names among repeat offenders. In MLB it tends to not repeat itself.
I doubt it. I think Song is a 5th outfielder at most. Laureano’s years might raise a few eyebrows, nothing in Tatis’ year indicates it.
Laureano did the exact same thing on the Braves last year. 2025 was not totally out of nowhere like it’s being implied.
Interesting fact, in the past five years, only three MLB outfielders have been suspended for PED usage: Laureano (formerly with A’s, now with the Padres), Profar (went from Padres to Atlanta), and Tatis, Jr.
Another interesting fact: you spend more time talking about tatis than your irrelevant team.
Both the amazing and the bad about Tatis, Jr. make him one of the half dozen most interesting players in MLB.
kok, you are talking about Tatis, too. Who is your irrelevant team?
Sometimes you just have to laugh at how stupid the rumors are. Tatis, Merrill, and Laureano is one of the best outfields in baseball. Spinning their managers answer to imply that Song will play in the OF is ludicrous.
Tatis might be the best all-around player since Willie Mays if he can stay healthy and PED free.
Tatis is still 26 years old as of today!
Mays and Griffey, Jr. are the gold standard to try to match IMHO for being an all-around outfielder
Tatis Jr is nowhere near the best all around player since anyone. I mean at this point he’s arguably not even the most intriguing outfielder on his own team.
The only way that would be true is if he DIDNT stay PED free. So the statement is exactly the opposite of the truth.
Sure make him the Super utility player of the year. Means they’re about to sign Yandy Diaz to secure 1b
Yandy Diaz is still on the Rays, they would need to trade for him
LOL!
“Centerfield” by John Fogerty?
“Song Sung Blue” by Neil Diamond?
“Centerfold” by Kelley Cauthen?
They signed him, so I’m sure he’ll fit in somewhere. But there are still months to go, so half the team might be traded by spring training. It’s Prellerfest season.
I don’t think the padres outfield is “set in stone”, but I do think it’s solid. Still, Laureano is certainly a trade candidate for SP.
I do like the idea of Song being a bat first LF option from time to time, with Bryce Johnson being a glove first 4th OF better suited to RF and CF. Sheets will also get some LF time, more so if Song doesn’t handle it well.
Padres have a lot of offseason left where Preller could go a number of ways.
With Preller, the only thing that you can be sure of is that this is not the final roster.