“Ha Sung Kim leads Padres in WAR.”
The San Diego Padres could be on the market for a seller. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported on Monday that San Diego is listening to trade offers for Blake Snell, Josh Hader, and Juan Soto. Snell and Hader are set to hit free agency in 2023-2024, while Soto is set to hit free agency in 2024-2025.
Heyman gave Soto a 10 percent chance of being traded. Snell and Hader, meanwhile, are expected to be traded by the second of next month, according to Bob Nightingale of USA Today. At 49-54, fourth in the National League West and seventh in the wild-card race, San Diego’s chances of making the postseason are slipping away. They’re a whopping 6.5 games behind the third wild card, the Cincinnati Reds. It’s not time to give up, but it’s time to make a decision.
That’s what Javier Reyes, host of the San Diego-based podcast Locked on the Padres, thinks. “The Padres are smart to sell Snell and Hader. They won’t have room for them next year.” He also analyzed that there was more to be gained by trading Snell.
He even brought up the Kim trade. Kim’s four-year, $39 million contract expires at the end of the 2024 season. This season, Kim has become one of the best offensive second basemen in the National League. His defense is among the best in the National League, and his offense is starting to be recognized.
In short, his value has skyrocketed. For San Diego, this could be the perfect time to make a trade. “Infielder Ha-Sung Kim is San Diego’s leader in WAR, and of all the players, I think we could get the most back in a trade. His contract is not expensive,” Reyes said.카지노
In fact, Kim leads the National League with a 5.0 WAR per Baseball-Reference. He ranks eighth with a 3.4 offensive WAR and first with a 2.0 defensive WAR. His 0.989 fielding percentage ranks fifth among second basemen in the National League, and his TZR of 6 ranks fourth among second basemen in the National League. His 4.60 range factor per nine innings is also fourth among National League second basemen.
Reyes is basically saying that the Padres should trade Snell and Hader first in a rebuild. He’s also right to emphasize Kim’s value in the trade. Kim is recognized for what he can do. He’s no longer a defensive infielder. A trade is not a bad thing if you can play for a team that can win.