The San Diego Padres signed right-handed pitcher Song Sung-mun to a $13 million contract, the team confirmed Thursday. Song, 27, joins a Padres organization that has become one of the more active MLB franchises in the Korean market over the past three years, following the additions of Ha-Seong Kim ($28 million, 2021) and the continued presence of Yu Darvish, whose Japanese roots nonetheless anchor the club's Asian scouting operation.
Song posted a 3.47 ERA across 146 innings in the Korea Baseball Organization's 2024 season, striking out 132 batters for the Kia Tigers. His fastball sits 91-94 mph with a slider-changeup mix that drew interest from six MLB clubs during the international signing window, according to three people familiar with the bidding. The Padres' offer came in nearly $2 million above the next-highest bid, one of those people said. Song is expected to report to the team's spring training facility in Peoria, Arizona, in mid-February, where he will compete for a fifth-starter role or a long-relief assignment.
The signing addresses rotation uncertainty behind Darvish, who turns 39 in August, and Dylan Cease, who becomes a free agent after the 2025 season. Joe Musgrove remains on an indefinite timeline following Tommy John surgery last September. The Padres entered the offseason with $18 million in payroll flexibility after letting Blake Snell and Josh Hader depart, and they have now committed roughly $9 million of that to Song's 2025 salary, with the remaining $4 million deferred across 2026 and 2027. Peter Seidler's estate, which controls the franchise, has instructed front-office leadership to remain under the luxury-tax threshold this year while maintaining competitiveness in the National League West, according to two executives briefed on ownership's directive.
The deal also carries sponsorship upside. The Padres' Korean-language broadcast partner, KBS America, has increased its annual rights payment by 22% since Kim's arrival, according to financial documents reviewed by a person with knowledge of the contract. The club's digital engagement in South Korea grew 310% year-over-year in 2024, per internal data. Jersey sales to Korean buyers now represent 11% of total merchandise revenue, compared to 3% in 2021. Hana Financial Group, which sponsors the Padres' spring training jerseys, is exploring expanded activation around Song's debut, one marketing executive said.
Song's agent, Scott Boras, negotiated opt-out language after the 2026 season if Song logs 140 innings in either 2025 or 2026 and posts an ERA below 4.00. The clause is uncommon for mid-tier international signings but reflects Boras's belief that Song's repertoire will play up against left-handed hitters in the National League, where he would face fewer power bats than in the American League. The Padres declined to include a no-trade provision.
What happens next hinges on how the Padres fill their remaining rotation spot. The team has been linked to free-agent lefty Jordan Montgomery, whose asking price has dropped to the $18-20 million annual range after a slow market. If the Padres pass, Song's spring performance becomes critical. The team's analytics group projects him as a 4.2-4.6 ERA pitcher over a full MLB season, per two people who reviewed the internal model. That's replacement-level for a fifth starter, but it clears the Musgrove injury, and it buys time for prospects Robby Snelling and Dylan Lesko, neither of whom is expected in San Diego before June.
The Padres open spring training February 14. Song's first bullpen session is scheduled for February 16, with Darvish expected to attend.