5 trade packages that could convince the Padres to trade Ha-Seong Kim

The San Diego Padres are hurting this offseason. With the sad passing of owner and chairman Peter Seidler, sending Juan Soto across the country to the Yankees, and a stunning lack of aggression on the free agent market that has kept the team from making any signings until closer Yuki Matsui just days ago, the Padres have a lot of gaps in their roster and seemingly little strategy to fill them before Opening Day next year.

With the departures of Blake Snell, Josh Hader, and Seth Lugo, among others, San Diego has seen a lot of money come off of their payroll quickly. Last year's Padres would've been turned those newly freed up dollars around quickly on top free agent talent, but this year's Padres are set on downsizing. Part of that plan has seemingly included trading away Juan Soto and letting over $20 million they would've given him to avoid arbitration be the Yankees' problem, but it might also mean offloading some smaller contracts too.

Ha-Seong Kim stepped up in a big way for the Padres last year, wracking up elite defensive numbers in the middle infield and having his best offensive year since he came over from the KBO in 2021. Going into 2024, Kim is owed $7 million for one more guaranteed year and has a mutual option in 2025. It's not a lot of money, but given his performance for the Padres this year, the return for him could be worth the trade. It seems that the Padres are taking calls on him, and there already seem to be more than a few interested parties. Here's what a few trade packages for Kim could look like.

Giants send 1B/RHP Bryce Eldridge, C/OF Blake Sabol, and OF Luis Matos

After losing veteran Brandon Crawford to probable retirement, San Francisco is in the market for a new shortstop, and the Giants seem to be the most obvious new home for Kim. After KBO star and Kim's former WBC teammate Jung Hoo Lee signed with San Francisco, he told reporters that Kim was the first person he called after he signed, and that Kim vouched for Lee's new manager Bob Melvin, who Kim played under for three years in San Francisco before Melvin jumped ship for the Giants.

In a trade package from the Giants, we propose No. 4 prospect Bryce Eldridge, a two-way player currently in A-ball with an expected MLB landing in 2027, and Blake Sabol and Luis Matos from the major league team. If Eldridge lives up to his potential, he could be the Padres' best shot at getting a player like Shohei Ohtani, and he'd be homegrown. When he was being scouted, he was mostly wanted as a hitter; if he were forced to chose hitting for whatever reason, the Padres would get a powerful bat and a first baseman near the top of their pipeline.

Blake Sabol and Luis Matos could immediately give the Padres something that they're in desperate need of: outfielders. While San Diego's infield is crowded, they don't currently have enough players to cover all three positions in the outfield. If the season began tomorrow, José Azocar, who only appeared in 55 games this season, and Fernando Tatis Jr. would be the only qualified outfielders the Padres could play. Sabol could also some much-needed catching depth on a team that's expected to start Luis Campusano behind the dish on Opening Day.

Red Sox send 3B/1B Blaze Jordan, OF Wilyer Abreu, and IF Pablo Reyes

The Red Sox are in desperate need for a second baseman, and free agent pickings are slim. They've most recently turned their attentions to veteran Whit Merrifield, though chatter or any signs of progress there seem to have stalled. Boston played nine different men at second base through 2023, so Kim, who had an elite fielding run value last year while making most of his starts at second, would be a saving grace for them. Not only that, but he's a capable shortstop who could fill in for a perpetually injured Trevor Story if need be.

From the major league team, the Red Sox could send Wilyer Abreu to help immediately with the Padres' outfield woes, and retain infielder Pablo Reyes as a utility player. Abreu, the Red Sox's No. 18 prospect, had a very promising first 28 games at the major league level this year, batting .316/.388/.474 with two home runs and 14 RBI. He would be the biggest get of this package, as he's expected to make the majority of right field starts for the Red Sox next year. Reyes was also productive in 64 games, batting .287/.339/.377 and holding down the fort at shortstop, which was also in flux for a time.

Blaze Jordan is the Red Sox's No. 13 prospect, who hit .296/.350/.481 between High-A and Double-A this year. He's expected to land in MLB in 2025 and would provide another infield option in a Padres prospect pool that's light on infielders.

Tigers send 3B/OF Matt Vierling, SS Kevin McGonigle, and 3B/OF Justyn-Henry Malloy

The Detroit Tigers' infield is also in need of some stability that Kim could provide. Instead of second base, the Tigers' issue in 2023 was third, where they put eight different players at various points throughout the season. Detroit employs a rotating cast of utility men, including Matt Vierling, Zach McKinstry, and Andy Ibáñez, who all appeared at third at least once this season, and seem content to do so again next year, with Vierling largely taking the lead.

However, if you threw Vierling, who has learned how to play third base but is an outfielder originally, into a package with a couple prospects in exchange for Kim, it could be a win-win. No. 5 prospect Kevin McGonigle rocketed to the top of the Tigers' prospects ranking by batting .315/.452/.411 between rookie and A-ball this year. The Padres do have shortstop and No. 2 prospect Jackson Merrill in Double-A but are missing another specialized shortstop in their top 30. Justyn-Henry Malloy, the Tigers' No. 9 prospect who could arrive in the majors this year, provides the same versatility as Vierling with time spent both in the outfield and at third.

A trade with Detroit could solve a lot of problems for the Tigers at third base while giving the Padres a lot to work with on multiple levels: a major-league-test depth option for the outfield in Vierling, a promising prospect to develop or use as a trade piece again in McGonigle, and a major-league-ready outfielder/utility man in Malloy.

Mets send 3B/OF Brett Baty, OF DJ Stewart, and OF Alex Ramirez

A recurring theme here may be that third base is a major concern for a lot of teams this offseason, because the Mets are no exception. They struggled through 2023 and saw a lot of shifting after the Mets sent Brett Baty back down to the minors. Although the Mets do still seem to have a considerable deal of faith in Baty, his many blunders at third base this year had fans wondering when the team should give up on the experiment. His occasional flashes of proficiency at the plate and his No. 2 ranking as a prospect last year do still speak in his favor and would pull a considerable amount of weight in a trade package.

DJ Stewart was a late-season call up for the Mets, who needed some help in the outfield due to injuries that kept Starling Marte off the field for about half the season. He went on a tear at the end of the season, finishing with a .244/.333/.506 line and 11 home runs in 58 games. Alex Ramírez, the Mets' No. 6 prospect who is currently on their 40-man, could be kicked in as a sweetener for a Padres top 30 prospect list that's top-heavy with pitchers and wanting for position players.

Steve Cohen has professed belief in his young players, including Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio, who will presumably be out for a while with a torn ACL, and Francisco Alvarez, and a desire to stand by them. However, if the Mets are going to continue to have issues at third base with routine fly balls, they might want to consider a switch for him.

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