Padres should call Reds about trade to address Ha-Seong Kim's likely departure

San Diego Padres fans seem to have accepted the fact that Ha-Seong Kim isn't coming back. Though not a forgone conclusion just yet, Kim opted out of his contract with the Friars earlier this offseason, and with Scott Boras now calling the shots, a reunion with the Padres seems unlikely.

At the moment, most Padres fans assume that Xander Bogaerts will do what he did during the postseason and slide to his right in order to supplant Kim at shortstop. While Bogaerts may have lost a step, he still possesses the defensive acumen to be a serviceable shortstop in the short-term. The same cannot be said, however, for the duo of Luis Arráez and Jake Cronenworth.

Pushing Bogaerts to shortstop would all of the sudden turn to the right side of the Friars' infield into one of the worst in the league. Perhaps the Cincinnati Reds could provide San Diego with some measure of relief; both in the field and at the plate.

Padres should call Reds about trade to address Ha-Seong Kim's likely departure

Over the weekend, rumors emerged that the Reds and Kansas City Royals were considering a trade. Though the details aren't available, the trade package was built around Reds' second baseman Jonathan India and Royals' pitcher Brady Singer. However, the deal is said to be nowhere close, and former GM and current MLB analyst Jim Bowden suggested that trade is all but dead following Nick Martinez agreeing to sign the qualifying offer extended by the Reds.

That would open the door for the possibility for San Diego to enter the India sweepstakes. The Reds' infielder has been a trade target for the past year-plus and is under team control through 2026. The Reds have a plethora of infielders and are looking to move the 28-year-old once again this winter.

While India's defense isn't elite, he graded out better than Cronenworth and certainly better than Arráez. Nabbing the former NL Rookie of the Year would allow the Friars to push Cronenworth to first base and Arráez back into the DH role. India hit .248/.357/.392 last season and is known to be an extremely patient hitter.

The Padres' might not be the perfect match for the Reds, who are said to be targeting a corner outfielder, but president of baseball operations AJ Preller should definitely kick the tires on the possibility of adding India to an already loaded lineup.

India might not have Kim's glove, but his offensive profile is tantalizing. India's $5.5 million salary would also fit rather well into the Padres' payroll next season. Perhaps this type of trade warrants a deeper discussion over the coming days.

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