Padres News: Luis Arráez contract extension, Ha-Seong Kim, Jackson Merrill

While the San Diego Padres' 2024 season came to an unceremonious end, fans are itching to see what this team could do this offseason and if another playoff run could be in the cards in 2025. The team looks like it should be in a great spot once again, but there are also a number of changes that the Padres' 2025 roster could undergo during the offseason.

While he is far from a perfect hitter, the Padres' trade for Luis Arráez early in the 2024 season was one of the biggest factors in the team's turnaround this season. Arráez doesn't hit for power and his ability to draw walks leaves a lot to be desired, but he has among the best bat-to-ball skills in all of baseball and provided San Diego with a lot of value at the leadoff spot this season.

Padres infielder Luis Arráez is open to an extension, but the details will matter

Many Padres fans have been hoping Arráez would stick around for the long haul since that trade was finalized, and it sounds as if Arráez is very much open to an extension as he is tired of bouncing around the league.

However, the Padres' payroll situation over the next couple of seasons isn't particularly great, and if Arráez is looking for a massive payday, he could actually be a trade candidate once again this offseason based on what the infielder is expected to get in arbitration.

Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim appears destined for free agency

As soon as Ha-Seong Kim hired Scott Boras to be his agent, the likelihood he would decline his mutual-option for 2025 went through the roof. Kim is another Padres player with a unique profile, as his bat isn't overly inspiring but he is so good defensively that the Friars' shortstop should generate a lot of value assuming that he is healthy.

Kim's shoulder injury casts even more uncertainty on his future given that it impacted his throwing before being shut down prior to the postseason. Kim is hoping for an early 2025 return, which could happen, but the Padres' glut of infielders as well as the need to bring back players like Jurickson Profar and Kyle Higashioka will put Kim's potential return to San Diego on the back burner.

Padres failure to sign Jackson Merrill to an extension could prove costly

Offering contract extensions to players before they play much, or at all, in the big leagues has been all the rage in recent years. There have been successful cases with names like Ronald Acuña Jr., Spencer Strider, and even the Padres' own Fernando Tatis Jr. And while those are clear examples of success, there are the Scott Kingerys of the world that give teams cause to pause before pulling the trigger.

Apparently the Padres liked Jackson Merrill so much before he debuted this season that the two sides did discuss the possibility of a pre-debut contract extension. Unfortunately, those talks didn't amount to a deal.

But now, Merrill's asking price has likely skyrocketed after his Rookie of the Year-caliber season in 2024. There is still a chance that San Diego could find a way to get something done down the road, but the possibility of an extension happening in the next couple years just plummeted given Merrill's current stock and how well he's trending.

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