Padres manager says playing Song Sung-mun in outfield 'definitely possible'

In this Imagn Images photo, San Diego Padres manager Craig Stammen speaks with the media during the 2025 MLB Winter Meetings at Signia by Hilton Hotel, Dec. 8. Reuters-Yonhap

San Diego Padres manager Craig Stammen said Wednesday playing Song Sung-mun, their newest Korean player and a career infielder, in the outfield is "definitely a possibility" as they seek to maximize his offensive upside.

Song has never played in the outfield in his Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) career, which began in 2015 with the Nexen (currently Kiwoom) Heroes. He has primarily been a third baseman but has also played at second base and first base, the kind of defensive versatility that the Padres will look to bank on.

But the Padres are also so enamored with Song's offense that Stammen said he will find ways to keep his bat in the lineup, even if it means putting Song in an unfamiliar defensive position.

"I think, obviously, he's going to feel more comfortable in the infield," Stammen said in a Zoom press conference with the U.S. and Korean media on Wednesday, a day after the Padres announced their four-year contract with Song. "We talked about this in the original Zoom call that we had when we were getting to know him and getting to see what he feels like he's good at, but it's definitely a possibility. It's something that we will work on in spring training.

"If it doesn't work out, it's no big deal, but it's worth a try," the manager continued. "It creates more versatility. It helps our roster achieve what it wants to achieve, and wherever we can get his bat in the lineup, that's what we're going to try to do. And we want to find a spot for him where he can be productive for the Padres, and there's a lot of different places that I think he can fit. He's a very good athlete."

Song, a fringe player at best through 2023, developed into one of the most productive hitters in the KBO over the past two seasons. In 2024, he batted .340/.409/.518 with 19 homers, 104 RBIs and 21 steals. He followed that up with a .315/.387/.530 line in 2025, with 26 home runs, 90 RBIs and 25 steals.

Also in 2025, Song earned his first Golden Glove at third base as the best overall player at the position and his first KBO Fielding Award for his defense at the hot corner.

The Padres are set at third base with All-Star and Gold Glove winner Manny Machado, and Stammen sees Song as a jack-of-all-trades type.

"Any player that can provide versatility is a valuable player in the big leagues," the manager said. "A lot of the teams that end up getting in the World Series and winning the World Series, they have parts that are movable. You saw it with the (Los Angeles) Dodgers last year with how they use Kike Hernandez and Miguel Rojas, Tommy Edman, moving them all over the field. We see him as being able to do that, to play third base, second base, maybe some first base, maybe some outfield.

"But also when our big boys need a little bit of a blow, he can fill in at third base and play major league-caliber third base really easily," Stammen continued. "And give Manny that DH day, and we have two productive hitters in the lineup."