Padres’ $14 Million Shortstop Predicted to Bolt for Rival Dodgers

The San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers are some of the more bitter rivals in all of sports. Unfortunately for the Padres, it’s been more of a “big brother-little brother” situation than a true, competitive rivalry.

This offseason, the Dodgers could take the bullying to the next level by stealing one of San Deigo’s infielders in free agency.

Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly recently predicted the Padres shortstop to ditch San Diego in favor of the team’s biggest rival. Kelly projects Ha-Seong Kim to sign a one-year deal worth $14 million with the Dodgers this winter.

“As much as it would burn for fans in San Diego, the Dodgers love players with positional flexibility and have a need in their middle infield. Kim would be a perfect fit,” Kelly wrote. “If not the Dodgers, the Giants—another NL West rival of the Padres—have also been connected to Kim already.”

Los Angeles needs an infielder and Kim would provide them with the defensive versatility that the team needs. The Dodgers have the firepower that they would be able to withstand Kim missing a chunk of the beginning of the season due to a shoulder injury that ended his 2024 campaign.

San Diego is also expected to aggressively pursue re-signing him and due to his time with the team, the Padres may be more willing to offer a two-year deal than the Dodgers.

More MLB: This Cardinals-Phillies Trade Would Send $8 Million Pitcher To Philadelphia