Song Sung-mun of the San Diego Padres signs a Padres jersey for a fan at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on Dec. 23, 2025. (Yonhap)
SEOUL — Having become the newest member of the San Diego Padres, South Korean infielder Song Sung-mun said Tuesday his primary goal is to make the team’s big league roster and stay there for the whole year.
Song arrived back home Tuesday morning, just hours after the Padres announced their four-year contract with him. Although the club did not disclose the financial details, the Associated Press had reported Monday that Song signed for US$15 million.
“I’m really grateful that San Diego took such a huge interest in me and offered me a good contract,” Song told reporters gathered at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. “I was excited and worried at the same time about the new start. But when I had dinner with the general manager (A.J. Preller) and assistant general manager (Josh Stein), they congratulated me and put my mind at ease. San Diego was the one team that instilled confidence in me that I could be successful in the majors.”
Song, 29, did not put himself on the radar among Major League Baseball (MLB) clubs until 2024, nine years after his debut with the Kiwoom Heroes in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). He set career highs with a .340 batting average, 19 home runs, 104 RBIs and 21 steals that season.
He followed that up this year with a .315 average, 26 home runs, 90 RBIs and 25 steals while also earning his first career Golden Glove as the best overall player at third base and his first KBO Fielding Award for his defense at the hot corner.
Considering his career arc to this point, the unlikelihood of his move to MLB wasn’t lost on Song.
“Even just a few years ago, a lot of people couldn’t have imagined I would move to the U.S., and I was no different myself,” Song said with a smile. “And it’s a big honor for me to join a club as prestigious as San Diego. I am really happy with this deal.”
Preller told the U.S. media last week that Song had “taken his game to a different level” over the past two seasons, and he expected Song to add some versatility to the Padres.
In addition to playing third base, Song has logged some time at second base and first base. He said he will try to prepare himself to be able to play multiple positions at a high level.
“I don’t think I am going over there as an everyday player,” Song said. “When I train in Korea, I will work on my fielding at many different positions.”
Song said he has never set statistical goals for himself and isn’t about to change that now. His objective for his rookie season in MLB is to first make the Padres’ roster, and he thinks the rest will take care of itself.
“First and foremost, I would love to make the major league roster and spend a full year there,” Song said. “And after that, I will want to get into many games and accumulate many at-bats. Throughout my career in Korea, I’ve always tried to prepare myself well for each and every day, instead of setting a specific target for the end of a season. And starting tomorrow, I will try to take it one day at a time to prepare for next year.”
Defensively, Song’s flexibility could come in handy in a veteran Padres infield. Their left side is set with All-Stars Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts at third base and shortstop, respectively. Second baseman Jake Cronenworth could slide over to first base, with Luis Arraez having hit free agency, and potentially open up a spot for Song.
Will Wagner, who happens to wear Song’s KBO number, 24, is another infielder who can play both second base and third base.
“MLB is the best league in the world. No matter which team I ended up with, I would’ve had to compete for playing time because there are so many good players,” Song said. “And by playing next to them, I think I will get to learn and grow.”
In that regard, Song is hoping to follow in the footsteps of his former Heroes teammate and one-time Padres infielder Kim Ha-seong, who is currently with the Atlanta Braves.
Kim played in San Diego from 2021 to 2024 and won the NL Gold Glove at the utility position in 2023. He developed into a fan favorite there, even earning the moniker “Awesome Kim,” for his hard-nosed style of play.
“Ha-seong survived some tough competition and developed alongside great players in the U.S.,” Song said. “And I think Ha-seong’s good history with San Diego had a positive influence on my deal. He told me San Diego is a great city, and he had an incredible time there because he had great front-office staff and awesome teammates. He still has close friends on the team, and I will have to ask him for help when I try to get settled in.”
Song will have two other former KBO teammates in the same state of California, with San Francisco Giants outfielder Lee Jung-hoo and Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Kim Hye-seong. The Padres will face these NL West division rivals 13 times each in 2026.
“I am sure there will be moments when I will start feeling lonely in a new environment, and having Jung-hoo and Hye-seong in the same division will be pretty comforting,” Song said. “I am really close with those guys, and it will be fun to see them over there.”