Padres projected $63 million Gold Glove winner predicted to leave

The San Diego Padres will have some tough choices to make this winter.

San Diego won 93 games in 2024 and wasn't far away from a trip to the National League Championship Series. The Padres got knocked out of the postseason by the Los Angeles Dodgers and now are turning their focus to the 2025 campaign.

The Padres should be good once again, but there could be some important pieces on the way out of town. Infielder Ha-Seong Kim has been with the Padres over the last four years and has been a great piece for the team. He was in plenty of trade rumors, though.

Kim will be paid well this winter and is projected to get a deal worth $63 million over five years. Someone will give him a deal like that. He can play all over the infield, has won a Gold Glove award, and is very steady offensively.

The Padres have a decision to make with him hitting free agency, and FanSided's Christopher Kline predicted he won't be back .

"Ha-seong Kim missed the last couple months with a shoulder injury and was nowhere to be seen in the Padres' five-game defeat at the hands of LA," Kline said. "Now he enters free agency, assuming both sides don't agree to a paltry $7 million mutual option. This was not Kim's best season at the plate, but he remains valuable at a high-leverage position. Teams will line up to sign such a productive shortstop...

"Despite his struggles this season, Kim remains one of the most disciplined hitters in the MLB. He gets the bat on the ball, even when he's not hitting for power. The defensive range and arm strength is top-notch, and Kim is a threat to steal 30-plus bases when he's healthy. Somebody who misses out on Willy Adames or a Bo Bichette trade will drop the bag. Of course, that will all depend on how well he recovers from surgery to repair a torn labrum."

Will the veteran be back in 2025?

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