Sung-mun Song might be the Padres’ most flexible chess piece

One of the major components that prompted the Padres to sign Sung-mun Song was his versatility, as the 29-year-old could play three out of four infield positions and then some. As a team undergoing a roster overhaul, these traits would be intriguing for a front office executive seeking to sustain winning seasons in the long term.

Song signed a four-year, $15 million contract on Dec. 19, providing a solid depth piece for the team’s new manager, Craig Stammen. However, the truth is that the signing of Song could play a significant role in how Preller wants the outfield's blueprint to look.

In his 2025 season with the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO, Song slashed .315/.387/.530 with 26 home runs, making a convincing case to land a long-term deal in the first place.

What made Song a hot commodity to begin with was his ability to play almost anywhere when asked of him; this alone could prompt the Padres to make a major change regarding one of their position groups.

Sung-mun Song could give the Padres an outfield experiment worth watching

This could be something to experiment with in spring training, as the Padres have arguably one outfield spot that could be replaced with more production.

Ramón Laurano, who is currently occupying that final outfield spot, posted an .812 OPS in a Padres uniform after being traded to them from the Baltimore Orioles along with Ryan O’Hearn. We’re sure that San Diego would love to build off of Laureano’s production in 2026, but would like to see a more sure defender out in left field.

Laureano’s projections for 2026 are solid, a .256/.321/.445 slash line with 18 home runs is acceptable considering the other pieces in the lineup that could add production.

Craig Stammen flirted with the idea during an online press conference, saying the following.

“Wherever we can get his bat in the lineup, that’s what we’re going to try to do. And we want to find a spot for him where he can be productive for the Padres, and there are a lot of different places that I think he can fit,” Stammen said.

This will make for an interesting spring training this February/March.