Good Morning San Diego: Why Padres didn’t sign Kyle Higashioka.
Everything you need to know about MLB news and your San Diego Padres for Thursday, December 5, 2024.
San Diego Padres News
What the Padres, Preller could pull off at Winter Meetings (MLB.com)
Reports: Former Padres catcher Kyle Higashioka signing with Texas Rangers (San Diego Union-Tribune).
Kyle Higashioka contract details with Rangers show why Padres likely passed (Friars on Base)
How Yu Darvish could recruit Roki Sasaki for the Padres (The Athletic)
Padres trending upward as favorites to land Japanese star (Empire Sports Media)
Padres Notes: Insane Juan Soto Prediction, Friars All-Star to AL Squad? (Sports Illustrated)
Phillies linked to Padres $36 million Gold Glover as potential Alec Bohm replacement (Sporting News).
MLB News
‘Widespread belief’ Blue Jays will be highest bidder in Soto sweepstakes (report) (MLB.com)
Red Sox, Aroldis Chapman agree to 1-year deal (source) (MLB.com)
What these 2 deals tell us about the free-agent pitching market (MLB.com)
Sleeper teams that could make a surprise splash this offseason (MLB.com)
Did Arenado drop a hint on where he’ll play in 2025? (MLB.com)
Should the Padres take a look at Hyeseong Kim to replace Ha-Seong Kim?.
The San Diego Padres lost Korean shortstop Ha-Seong Kim to free agency at the beginning of the offseason. While there is still a chance he returns to California, the versatile infielder is reportedly generating lots of interest around the league and it’s not a given that he comes back.
On Tuesday, it was revealed that fellow Korean infielder Hyeseong Kim (no relation to Ha-Seong) will likely be officially posted on Wednesday, opening his 30-day window to sign for any MLB team.
Could the Padres replace Ha-Seong Kim with the newcomer from the KBO?
So far, there haven’t been many reports linking the two parties, but his market, and negotiations, are just about to start.
Besides the obviously fun name comparison, the two Kims are actually similar players. Ha-Seong gets the edge in power, though, but Hyeseong is a very useful player in his own right and is expected to be cheaper.
Hyeseong Kim, Padres
Credit: Yukihito Taguchi-Imagn Images
Unlike Roki Sasaki, Kim falls under the ‘professional’ category and will be able to sign the largest deal he can find because he is at least 25 (26, actually) and has a minimum of six years of experience in a foreign circuit.
Here is MLB Trade Rumors’ comparison of the two, as the Padres scan the middle infield market:
“Offensively, Hyeseong is a tick below Ha-Seong, however. Hyeseong has slashed .304/.364/.403 in his eight KBO seasons whereas Ha-Seong hit .294/.373/.493 in his seven campaigns in Korea. The batting average and on-base numbers are fairly close but Ha-Seong clearly has the edge in terms of slugging. Hyeseong got to 11 home runs in 2024, a career-high for him, whereas Ha-Seong had 19 or more homers in his final six KBO seasons, including 30 in the final year.”
