The Padres discover themselves in an unfamiliar place. San Diego could possibly be looking out for a shortstop regardless of their affinity for accumulating gamers with expertise on the place. Most of these gamers (i.e. Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts, Jackson Merrill and Jake Cronenworth) moved off shortstop. Ha-Seong Kim might be a free agent when he declines his finish of a mutual possibility in favor of a $2MM buyout. Kim is among the many most troublesome free brokers to challenge after his season was minimize brief by a labrum damage that required surgical procedure.
San Diego baseball operations president A.J. Preller addressed the place as a part of a convention name with reporters on Monday (hyperlinks through AJ Cassavell of MLB.com and Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune). Preller mentioned the Padres “would like to carry (Kim) again” however acknowledged the unsure timeline on his damage.
The Union-Tribune’s Kevin Acee wrote just a few weeks in the past that Kim was aiming for a return in April or Could. Preller left the scenario extra open-ended. The chief famous that Kim isn’t slated to start a throwing program till near the beginning of the season. As for a return to recreation motion, Preller loosely floated “Could, June, July” as viable outcomes.
It’s clearly too early within the rehab course of for the Padres to slender down a selected goal. That uncertainty ought to all however shut the e-book on the possibility of San Diego issuing Kim a qualifying provide. The 29-year-old infielder would in all probability settle for a $21.05MM wage, which is an excessive amount of for the Padres to threat with Kim wanting very more likely to at the least start the season on the injured checklist.
Preller and his employees additionally face notable free agent losses within the bullpen (Tanner Scott), left discipline (Jurickson Profar) and behind the plate (Kyle Higashioka). The aid group must be sturdy sufficient to climate Scott’s departure, however the Padres might want to deal with just a few spots within the lineup whereas additionally discovering a substitute for the injured Joe Musgrove within the rotation. That would make it troublesome to retain Kim.
Even when the Padres have been to carry him again, they’d want a short-term substitute whereas he completes his rehab. If he walks, they’ll want a everlasting reply. Bogaerts moved again from second base for the stretch run. The Padres appear to choose him on the keystone, although they may not have any higher choices at shortstop.
Machado and Cronenworth haven’t performed there in years. Nor has Tatis, who has been a full-time proper fielder since getting back from the accidents and suspension that worn out his 2022 season. Merrill developed as a shortstop prospect earlier than studying middle discipline on the fly. The 21-year-old instantly grew to become one of many sport’s high all-around middle fielders.
Preller didn’t appear eager on the concept of shifting Tatis or Merrill again to the infield. “They’d in all probability love that risk. They at all times joke round — ’No matter’s wanted,’” the baseball ops president mentioned. “The nice a part of these guys is that they’re proficient athletes, they will play totally different spots. … However Tati successful the Platinum [Glove] two years in the past, and Jackson doing an amazing job in middle discipline this 12 months, we all know that they’re actually good at what they do within the outfield.”
There hasn’t been a lot critical dialogue about Tatis shifting again to shortstop. It’s a believable state of affairs for Merrill, who solely moved off shortstop in deference to Kim and appears as if he can comfortably alter to no matter place the Padres ask of him. But as Preller famous, it’s tempting to depart Merrill in middle discipline with how effectively he performed this 12 months. San Diego doesn’t have an apparent in-house candidate to take over in middle if Merrill have been to come back again onto the infield. They’d in all probability want to amass a middle fielder and the free agent market on the place is extraordinarily skinny. It’s not a lot deeper at shortstop, the place solely Willy Adames and Kim, if wholesome, profile as regulars.
