Padres infield faces uncertain future after Dodgers land Kim Hye-seong

A familiar story graced the MLB headlines yesterday, the Los Angeles Dodgers had landed yet another sought after free agent. This time it was Korean infield star Kim Hye-seong. After reports had surfaced tying the Padres and a number of other teams to the 25-year-old, it was a three-year, $12.5 million fully guaranteed contract that brought Hye-seong to the Dodgers. Now, with another possible addition off the board, the Padres infield situation is looking dire.

Uncertainty surrounding the infield has been the story of the off-season for the Padres. Trade rumors surrounding Luis Arraez and Kim Ha-Seong's status as a free agent have set up for what should have been another year of AJ Preller moves. Instead, Preller and the Padres have been quiet, something they may come to regret as their list of available players starts to dwindle.

Padres may be running out of options

Signing former Tampa Bay Rays utility man Mike Brosseau to a minor league contract may not be a league-changing move by San Diego, but it does show the team is looking for infield help. The former Rays ALDS hero did not play in the majors in 2024, but did have some success at the Triple-A level before going down with an injury. Brosseau will join the likes of Tyler Wade and Eguy Rosario as San Diego's utility options.

As for internal options, San Diego is looking thin. Placing any certainty on the future of both Arraez and Kim Ha-seong is impossible, and concerns over Xander Bogaerts ability on defense has raised some eyebrows. Bogaerts, who was subject to trade rumors earlier in the off-season, signed an 11-year deal with San Diego in December 2022 and is looking to rebound from a poor first two years with the Padres.

It seems that the only two constants in the Padres infield are Manny Machado and Jake Cronenworth. Machado is coming off a respectable 2024 campaign where he won the Silver Slugger for third base and received MVP votes. Cronenworth put up decent numbers in 2024 with an OPS above.700 and a modest .241 average, but will surely be looking to return to the form that saw him receive back-to-back All-Star selections in 2021 and 2022. After spending most of his time at first base during the 2024 campaign, Cronenworth may be moved back to second base or shortstop if the situation stays the same.

With Hye-seong now unavailable and Ha-seong seemingly right behind him, Preller and the Padres will surely still be in the market for additional signings. An aging free agency market sees last year's additions of Nick Ahmed and Donovan Solano available, but no reports of any additional moves by Preller have surfaced.