Infielder Ha-Seong Kim declined his mutual option with the San Diego Padres, The Athletic’s Dennis Lin was the first to report it on Saturday.

The Padres surely would have recouped their share of the option if Kim had accepted, considering it was only worth $8 million for the 2025 season. Instead, Kim will collect a $2 million buyout and become a free agent .

Kim signed a four-year, $28 million contract with the Padres ahead of the 2021 campaign, leaving the Korean Baseball Organization behind.

Kim played in 117 games during his rookie year, hitting .202 with a .622 OPS, but he managed to post a 2.1 WAR thanks to his dynamic defensive efforts at shortstop, at second base and third base. The Padres made Kim their full-time shortstop in 2022, only to return him to a utility role when signing Xander Bogaerts for 2023.

This allowed Kim to win a Gold Glove that season, becoming the first Korean player to win the honor. Kim also took a leap forward on offense, hitting .260 with 17 homers, 60 RBIs, 38 stolen bases, a .749 OPS and 5.8 WAR en route to a 14th place finish in the NL MVP race.

Kim took over at shortstop in 2024 as Bogaerts continued to age, but his season ended in August due to a right shoulder injury. He had surgery on October 10 and is expected to return in mid-April.

The 29-year-old finished last season with a .233 batting average with 11 home runs, 47 RBIs, 22 stolen bases, a .700 OPS and a 2.6 WAR in 121 games.

Kim changed agents in October, signing with Boras Corporation before entering free agency. He’s sure to be one of the best infielders on the open market alongside Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Willy Adames and former KBO teammate Hye-Seong Kim, should it be posted.

According to SpotracHa-Seong Kim’s market value currently stands at $49.1 million over four years. The Padres are already paying Bogaerts, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. a combined $63 million in 2025, so it remains to be seen how high they are willing to bid for Kim’s services moving forward.

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