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…
so true. Definitely something Arraez doesn’t have. He can’t play 2B or even 1B that well which when coupled with his declining batting average, seems to lessen his possibilies for even a decent contract. Minor league deal anyone?
Didn’t he also used to play in the outfield ?
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?
I talk about tatis because my team is the padres. Everyone else does because they’re haters
Llokok
I think you mistakenly viewed me as someone who hates Tatis or the Padres and just don’t want to admit it. No worries.
In fact, Tatis is one of my favorite players, I just won’t sugar-coat his past mistakes and immaturity. I still expect greatness from him.
kok… Everyone else does because they’re haters…. You can pretend that everyone else is wrong….
Actually a lot more players than 3
Ped users since 2021:
Jose Alvarado
Orelvis Martinez
Noelvi Marte
JC Mejia (2)
Pedro Severino
Hector Santiago
Gregory Soto
Those three you mention above
I said three outfielders. The players that you mentioned are not outfielders. Noelvi is a 3B who may have played a few innings at OF, most of the rest are pitchers.
I wasn’t referring my comment to you sir.
👍
Was talking about mlb players who got busted for peds since Tatis jr.
Things that make you go hm?
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
Pre-2000 Bonds was a great left fielder but I don’t know if he counts as an all-around outfield guy
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.
Rishi
On 2025, Tatis Jr, had 25 homers, 25 or more stolen bases and a platinum glove. No one has ever done that before in the fifteen years that platinum gloves exist.
Jackson Merrill is a very promising young player, but he does not electrify crowds the same way yet.
8 homers and 26 RBIs on road last year a complete 0 last 5 postseason games Tatis Jr is a fraud
Really it’s very comparable to Andruw Jones more than Mays. SB are easier today. Jones would have likely accomplished that feat at least 3-4 times by age 24. Granted he was a great player but the offense for Tatis is about 20% above league average now. He’s good but not great offensively. He’s putting up 5 WAR while players like Jones put up 7-8 in the steroid era. Just because he won the platinum gloves which have only recently existed it doesn’t mean much for the comparisons. Granted he very good.
The only way that would be true is if he DIDNT stay PED free. So the statement is exactly the opposite of the truth.
I’m not seeing that at the plate, MLB. Tatis has been great in the field and on the bases but not so much at the plate. I probably shouldn’t expect that though. He’s doing enough as is.
Tatis was #7 in wRC+ for OF. #25 overall.
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
Oh, yeah, and Tatis did that in both 2023 and 2025:
Platinum glove, and
25 homers, and
25 stolen bases.
He has done it twice, no one else has done all three in the same season since they stated giving out Platinum gloves fifteen years ago
25 HR / 25 SB and a platinum glove is good, but no more meaningful than a 35 HR / 35 2B platinum glove season, which has also only been accomplished twice. both times by Arenado.
Arenado was majestic during 2016-2023, though his 35 home run seasons had the benefit of Coors. He had two 30 home run seasons at Busch which are almost more impressive. Too bad in 2025 he was an empty shell of a man.
Coors had a 125 Park factor for doubles and 117 for HR in 2017-2018 when he had a Platinum Glove, 35 HR and 35 Doubles.
you’re missing the point. it’s not a meaningful distinction. you can choose nearly any two stats and find a unique case amongst the small pool of platinum glove winners.
TinyTim, the point is that to be one of the Platinum Glove winners means you are elite on defense. When you combine that with offensive numbers that few have ever produced you have an all around special player.
Arenado was elite in 2017-2018. No one will question that. Tatis was elite in 2025. No one should question that. He may not currently be the very best player in baseball, but he is undoubtedly in the top 10 or 12 and he is exciting.
When I watch him play I wonder what we would be saying if he had not had to have two surgeries to repair the torn labrum in his shoulder? Perhaps the best in baseball? He had averaged 8.0 WAR/162 through his age 22 season before that, so its certainly something to think about.
I get the statement but in reality things can’t be separated that way. Trials make people more mature (eventually at least). And while we could blame surgery we could also blame the lack of PEDs (presumably). But all this platinum glove talk is pointless as it’s only existed a short time and often won by infielders with less pop. SB are also easier than on past years (see Juan Soto). No doubt if Andrew Jones were starting his career today he would probably have done the 25/25 platinum glove thing 3 times or so (at least). He was a 20-30 SB guy for a good while when SB were less common. And, besides defense nobody would compare him to Willie Mays. It’s pointless to do simply because the platinum glove exists and he’s won it. He’s good but the non PED version is a 5 WAR player. Not great just really good. Jones was putting up over 7 WAR consistently BTW. If you don’t like the WAR just look at the OPS of 800. It’s not comparable to an all time great hitter.
But the writer did manage to make a story out of it. Whether it’s true or not.
Yeah, unless I missed it, he never specifically mentioned him playing the outfield.
Exactly. Stammen’s quote makes no mention of the OF. Lame…
LOL!
“Centerfield” by John Fogerty?
“Song Sung Blue” by Neil Diamond?
Think about the weather
“Centerfold” by Kelley Cauthen?
Since they said Song in The Outfield, I’m guessing “Your Love.”
If it’s Song in the outfield, it must also be Dance on the infield.
With Yu, Caan, Halve and Itfore in the bullpen
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.
He’s the new Arraez. So versatile that he doesn’t play anywhere.
Sf
I’ve never heard any knowledgeable baseball person describe Arraez as “versatile”
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.
Not seeing Laureano traded as the outfield was an area of weakness for SD until very recently and he is a bargain. With the Padres, however, it’s been a bit of a shell game the last few years. Cover a position and a hole opens elsewhere. Rinse and repeat. Perhaps he does get traded along with Estrada or Morejon for a Peralta from MIL or similar.
With Preller, the only thing that you can be sure of is that this is not the final roster.
Tatis Jr, who was once suspended for PEDs, is very interesting-the good and bad (the suspension)(tho he could be the best all around player since Mays if he doesn’t take PEDs-after all he was suspended once-as I, a top commenter, have stated above).
Sounds like my drunk aunt (RIP).
🤣
Sounds like a very immature “top commenter” crying because Tatis isn’t on his team.
I assume you posted this prior to top commenter’s posts. Top is a fan of Tatis.
But what will their plans be after the song is done?
Matt Vasgersian and Harold Reynolds discussed Song a week ago when he signed and Matt was talking with certainty that Song would play SS with Bogaerts sliding to 2B and Cronenworth to 1B. Padres need to do something at 1B/DH offensively. Sheets at 1B leaves a big hole at DH and Song in the OF pushes Laureano or Merrill to the bench/DH. Maybe the Padres should sign Ozuna…
Ozuna is done. He can head to the Giants.
Ozuna is the new Jorge Soler. He’ll play half a season in SF and get traded back to ATL or to the Angels.
Noooooooooooo! 🙂
I’d be shocked if Boegarts isn’t the everyday SS in 2026. Nothing about his performance last year suggests making that move. They did it in 2023 with Kim at SS, but I don’t think Song will be that level of defender.
Song will likely play all over the place in ’26 like a versatile utility guy. Cronenworth will likely see lots of time at both 2b and 1b, and Sheets will see action at 1b/DH/Lf I’d imagine, but the rest of the guys will be set at their regular positions while getting some DH rest days. If Song plays 1b, 2b, 3b, SS, Lf that would be a huge asset if he hits at all.
That would be a stunning move since Song has never played SS and Bogaerts was one of the best defensive SS last season according to StatCast. 87th percentile.
His primary position was 3B, which he won’t play often. I think 2B is his likely spot barring the acquisition of a First Baseman
Let the music begin!
All around the field, the same Song. It’s the same old Song.
-Digital Underground
Id put Song in right. Wine in left. And Women in center.
That headline stumped me for a bit.
“Padres Considering Song In Outfield”
How are they going to choose only one song when there are hundreds of thousands if not millions to choose from.
Song getting some action in the outfield is fine but barring a couple of injuries not a real need.
Padres have three quality outfielders. Plus sheets and Johnson to play the outfield.
Guess Preller could always trade Laureano and then the need would be there but I don’t really see that happening. Right handed hitting outfielders are hard to find in this market.
Trading Laureano even for a guy like Bubic doesn’t really help the team. Padres need a power bat as is and trading him makes the need even greater.
Find a way to get another bat and another starters.
Padres need all of the low AAV upside they can get. In that way Song is a good add.
Padres are completely writing off Dance though by doing this!!
Sung, Sung Mun Song
Make him rangy and last
The whole game long
Don’t worry that he’s not
Good enough to catch any
Balls come near
Just Sung, Sung Mun Song
Sung Mun Song, Arrives
from K B O with smiles
Enjoy the warm sun
Next they will sign Song’s cousin, Present Tense Sing.
Or sign senga soon
Alliterative word play aside, would a trade built around Pivetta and Senga (with some additional minor pieces) save the Padres enough money while affording them an additional year of Senga’s services to make such a swap worthwhile?
I’m guessing there is some truth to the rumors that the two GMs have discussed quite a few iterations of a deal involving both.
I think they will try to trade Cronenworth.
Itr was almost like a Song, but it’s much to sad to write.
The Dodgers tried Kim in the outfield, and found you can’t just assume athleticism can play anywhere.
How do you get to Carnegie Hall?
If Song is playing in the outfield, who is singing?? Lol
I’m still not getting why anyone needs Pokemon mascots for anything except a dumb username.
It’s a nice conflation of humor and irony with being an unreserved miscreant with a horrible personality.
Perhaps. But I would suggest symptomatic of a misfiring of basic molecular-level constructs and enzymatic processes overlain by a deteriorating environment, distanced from nature and a sensible diet. To some degree, we all share responsibility.
Age 33 season, coming from a considerably inferior league, odds are he’ll be available for a Song in a year or two.