The rivalry between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres is one of the most intense in all of baseball. In the 2024 postseason, the two teams clashed in dramatic fashion, with the Dodgers ultimately emerging victorious. Now, the Padres could face another loss to the Dodgers—this time in free agency. Los Angeles has been linked to top-tier free agents like Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes, and Willy Adames, while San Diego has been eyeing more modest targets, such as Jurickson Profar.
One name the Dodgers are reportedly interested in is the Padres’ own free-agent shortstop, Ha-Seong Kim. Nick Villano of FanSided has even predicted that Kim might leave the Padres for the Dodgers. Spotrac projects Kim to sign a four-year, $49 million deal this winter. If you can’t beat them, join them, right?
Villano explained that the Dodgers are able to afford massive contracts for stars like Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani by making smart decisions with smaller contracts. “They have a really tough decision themselves at shortstop, but if they take a downgrade there but save on the contract by a ton, it gives them the flexibility to keep spending elsewhere,” Villano wrote. Kim, who underwent shoulder surgery at the end of the 2024 season, is expected to be ready by sometime in 2025, although his exact recovery timeline is uncertain. The Dodgers could gamble on Kim’s recovery, similar to how they acquired the injured Tommy Edman at the trade deadline, a move that paid off well. Taking Kim from the Padres would add even more satisfaction to the potential win.
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