All A.J. Preller needed was a nudge, and suddenly the winter has some actual momentum.
The Padres finally got their offseason heartbeat back late on Dec. 18 with the Michael King deal, a move that felt like a line in the sand: San Diego wasn’t going to spend the entire winter pretending “internal options” were a plan. And less than 12 hours later, Preller is reportedly back at it — this time adding infield help with the signing of KBO standout Sung-mun Song, first reported by FanSided’s Robert Murray.
Padres add Sung-mun Song as Preller’s offseason momentum builds
Per Francys Romero, the agreement is three years, $13 million, pending a physical. If that number holds, it’s exactly the kind of “Preller special” that makes sense for a roster trying to thread the needle between staying competitive and staying sane financially. It’s not the type of deal that blocks a future bigger move — but it does give the Padres something they’ve been missing as the roster has thinned and shifted: a real, credible layer of infield depth with upside.
The early scouting read is telling, too. One scout reportedly places Song somewhere between Ha-Seong Kim and Hye-Seong Kim — closer to Ha-Seong, but with less pop and less defensive impact. That tracks with the price tag. Ha-Seong just landed a one-year, $20 million deal with Atlanta. Song, at 28 and unproven in MLB, is naturally going to sit a tier below in both cost and expectations.
Still, there’s a reason this is worth paying attention to. Song isn’t coming over as a mystery box with a light résumé. He just wrapped up a big season with the Kiwoom Heroes, slashing .315/.387/.530 with 26 homers and 90 RBI. Even with the usual “KBO-to-MLB translation” caveats, that kind of production isn’t noise — it’s a signal.
More importantly, this move starts to bring the Padres’ 2026 picture into focus. It doesn’t answer every question, but it answers a big one: Preller is building a roster, not just collecting names. And if the last 12 hours are any indication, this probably won’t be the last domino to fall. The fanbase can breathe a little easier — then immediately start asking for the next arm and the next bat.
