A.J. Preller's Spending Spree Continues, Padres Sign Korean Infielder Sung-mun Song

[Brandon Glick]

Well, someone finally woke A.J. Preller up.

Mere hours after securing the services of Michael King in free agency, the San Diego Padres have agreed to sign Korean infielder Sung Mun Song.

It appears to be a three-year deal for $13 million, meaning the Padres' will owe Song and King roughly $29 million combined in 2026.

 

The starting third baseman for the Kiwoom Heroes of the Korean Baseball Organization, it's unclear if the Padres foresee a position change for Song (first base?) or if there are internal plans to shift Manny Machado elsewhere (which seems unlikely). Either way, adding Song's bat should be a huge boon for the Padres' offense, as he's coming off a season in which he posted a .917 OPS in 144 games. He also hit career highs in home runs (26) and stolen bases (25).

Song has played first and second base as well at points of his career, and the 29-year-old offers enough versatility and power and speed to fill any number of roles as a starter or off Craig Stammen's bench. He's looking to join former teammates Ha-Seong Kim, Jung Hoo Lee, and Hyeseong Kim in America as successful KBO to MLB converts.

Originally debuting as a teenager in the KBO, Song took a long while to find his All-Star stride before breaking out in 2024 (.927 OPS in 142 games). Comparisons to former Padre Ha-Seong Kim ring loud, as Kim emerged as a legitimate star in 2023, finishing 14th in MVP voting and winning a Gold Glove Award as a utility player. Suggesting Song has less power than Kim isn't ideal seeing as the latter has hit 14 home runs per 162 games in his MLB career, but he's also been valuable enough to sign a one-year, $20 million contract with the Atlanta Braves after an injury-plagued campaign.

That'll be the Friars' hope with Song — someone who can provide above-marginal value in a lot of areas, rather than exceptional production in any one domain. If no other moves are made, he may get the first crack at starting at first base, though it's just as possible that the Padres are eyeing a similar utility role as the one Kim used to star in.

Like King, Song now poses some intriguing trade and free-agent possibilities for A.J. Preller. Does the Korean infielder's presence embolden Preller to seriously consider trading Jake Cronenworth? Or perhaps this will lead to a first base platoon of Song and someone like Paul Goldschmidt? Is there a blockbuster trade for a slugging infielder coming, with the team eyeing song as a replacement for an outgoing piece (or the primary option off the bench)?

Only time will tell on these fronts, but it's clear that the Padres have heard the call to action. Within a span of 10 hours, they've added key pieces to their rotation and offense, making the team significantly deeper in the process. If nothing else, that's a huge win considering where things stood 24 hours ago.

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