The San Diego Padres have agreed to a deal with international free agent Sung Mun Song, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. The club has not confirmed the agreement as of now, and no further details are available.
The news comes mere hours following the Padres’ announcement to re-sign starter Michael King to a three-year, $75 million deal.
Song is the latest breakout star to make the jump from the KBO League to Major League Baseball. He’s preceded by Korea-born players like Hyeseong Kim, Jung Hoo Lee and former Padre Ha-Seong Kim.
Song At A Glance
The 29-year-old lefty infielder debuted for the Kiwoom Heroes, formerly the Nexen Heroes, in 2015. Despite his current status, his career has not been a straight line. It’s taken the infielder some time to settle, and he also missed the 2020 and part of the 2021 season due to military service. That said, following his return, he’s consistently risen in numbers before having two back-to-back All-Star caliber seasons with his club.
His 2025 season in particular was astonishing as he slashed .387/.530/.917 in 144 games. He also launched a career-high 26 homers, 181 hits and stole 25 bases. For his efforts, he was voted KBO Player of the Year by the Korea Professional Baseball Players Association. Following his performance, he was posted by his former club on November 22, opening a 30-day window to negotiate a contract with any of the 30 Major League Baseball teams.
It’s currently unclear where Song will fall into the Padres current lineup. Song is an infielder known mainly as a third baseman but has experience all around the infield. Manny Machado has almost completely filled that spot for the Friars. With this in mind, it’s likely the KBO Star will slide into second or first base for the club. Depending on where he lands, Song may have filled a major role the Padres needed following Luis Arraez’s apparent departure from the team.
The Free Agent Market Now
With Song’s name off the board, a small number of high-profile Eastern International free agents are left on the block. Japanese and Korean posting rules are a little different and have strict deadlines. As of now, Japanese players Munetaka Murakami and Tatsuya Imai are both connected to the Padres. The club has remained mostly hush-hush about any potential plans to acquire them.
It appears now is the time for things to heat up in the free agent market after the small lull following Thanksgiving week. Michael King and Sung Mun Song seem to be the start of a flurry of moves from the ever-mysterious Padres General Manager AJ
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