▲ San Diego Padres' general manager A.J. Preller speaks during a Zoom press conference on Jan. 6, 2021, in this screengrab from the session. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
▲ This EPA file photo from Oct. 2, 2020, shows members of the San Diego Padres celebrating their 4-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 3 of the National League Wild Card Series at Petco Park in San Diego. (Yonhap)
▲ Kim Ha-seong of the San Diego Padres speaks to reporters during a Zoom press conference held on Jan. 6, 2021, in this screengrab from the session. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

MLB official-S Korean player

Padres' GM sees S. Korean star Kim Ha-seong as infielder, for now

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Jan. 6 (Yonhap) -- Since South Korean infielder Kim Ha-seong signed with the San Diego Padres last week, pundits and fans alike have been trying to figure out exactly where he will play.

Kim has spent the bulk of his Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) career with the Kiwoom Heroes at shortstop, with some third base cameo appearances sprinkled in. But the Padres are already set at third base and shortstop, with MVP material Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. manning those positions.

Will Kim, who signed for four years at US$28 million, split time with incumbent Jake Cronenworth at second base? Will either of the two be asked to play in the outfield?

Padres' general manager A.J. Preller told reporters in a Zoom call Wednesday that he sees Kim as an infielder -- for now.

"We see him, initially, at shortstop, second base and third base, getting time at those three spots," Preller said. "We feel like he can play anywhere on the field."

That Major League Baseball (MLB) is looking to play a full 162-game schedule this year after the 2020 season was cut short to 60 is part of the equation, Preller said.

"Last year, it was truly a sprint. This year, it's back to marathon," he said. "We're going to keep our players fresh and keep (infielders) in the infield. Initially with Ha-seong, the focus is going to be on the infield play."

Preller did leave room for possibilities that some changes could be made.

"We feel like guys that have played at shortstop can slide over to different spots," he said. "When we get to spring training, we'll really start to dig in more when we have everybody on the field and see exactly how that's going to play out. I think we have a lot of confidence that we have players that are going to be able to move around.

"We're open to what's going to make our team win the World Series," Preller added. "As we get through spring training and try to figure out what's the best combination of guys, we'll look at every possible option."

Preller said the team and Kim already discussed his potential position change and said Kim was "very open to anything."

"From the first conversation with Mark Pieper (Kim's American agent), we were very clear that we see (Kim) as a regular player in the major leagues," Preller said. "With the investment, we see him as a guy who's going to impact our team. We feel very confident that, playing time wise, he's going to blend in really nicely with our club."

Preller said the Padres have a good support system around Kim to help him make adjustments to the new league and new country.

"I think we have a good, young, fun, talented team that cares about individual players and appreciates players' talent. That will help him in the transition," Preller said. "And we have a great coaching staff. Bobby Dickerson is as good an infield coach as there is in the game. He loves players and pushes guys. The biggest thing is (Kim) is just a really good player, and good players have a way to make adjustments."

Preller said the Padres have been tracking Kim's career since his high school years and that he has been particularly impressed with the way the 25-year-old has progressed from a raw KBO rookie to an All-Star.

Preller noted how Kim has been able to cut down on strikeouts while increasing his walk totals and said he has the talent to catch up to MLB's high-velocity fastballs, the likes of which he hardly saw in South Korea.

In his first full season in 2015, Kim struck out 115 times and drew 56 walks. Last year, Kim had more walks than strikeouts for the first time, with a career-high 75 free passes against 68 punchouts in 138 games.

"Our pro scouting group feels like he has the physical components to make the adjustments, which are bat speed and ability to recognize pitches," Preller said. "The way he talked about the progression gave us a lot of faith and confidence. He's got ability to make those adjustments. The more he sees, the better he's going to get."

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