Padres passing on Ha-Seong Kim suddenly looks like a timely escape hatch

One of the moves that broke the hearts of Friar Faithful was saying goodbye to a fan-favorite, Ha-seong Kim, who the Padres let walk in the 2024 offseason, which salvaged some payroll for the future.

Kim, 30, went on to sign a two-year, $29 million contract across the country with the Tampa Bay Rays. However, due to a shoulder injury, Kim only appeared in 24 games with his new ball club, where he slashed a dismal .214/.290/.321 and was 28% worse than the league average hitter.

The poor performance in Tampa led to the team designating him for assignment. Kim was then able to sign wherever he wanted, and it happened to be with the Atlanta Braves, who were long eliminated from playoff contention. In the stress-free ball he saw, Kim saw an improved slash line of .253/.316/.368.

A glue guy in the Atlanta clubhouse, the Braves elected to re-sign Kim on a one-year deal worth $20 million. A significant overpay to say the least, as Kim only appeared in 48 games during the 2025 season. As much as Padres fans wanted him back in brown and yellow, a deal like that would’ve hurt the franchise.

Ha-seong Kim to miss 4–5 months after ligament damage required surgery

But what if we told you the contract would’ve been the second-worst scenario if the Padres chose to sign him?

Yes, you read that correctly. Ha-seong Kim will be missing extensive time with a finger injury that he suffered while…walking on ice.

The incident occurred when Kim was back home in Korea, and he tore a ligament in his middle finger when he slipped and fell on the ice.

The contract he signed with the Braves already looks, well, not worth it. The team committed $20 million in one year to him, and it now looks as if he will miss at least half of the 2026 season.

A large contract, coupled with a freak accident or injury, is a recipe for disaster. This is why the Padres should be glad that they didn’t commit to bringing back a fan favorite and focused on building the best roster possible with the assets they had.