Front Row Seat: Padres hope new addition can play multiple positions

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Jim Russell says goodbye to San Diego radio

Darren Smith catches up with former colleague, Jim Russell, to talk about leaving sports radio and San Diego and the heartbreaking motivation behind it.

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San Diego Padres

After years in KBO obscurity, Song Sung-mun lands MLB deal with Padres - Yonhap News Agency
Song, 29, was the 49th overall pick by the Kiwoom Heroes at the 2014 KBO draft. It's the lowest draft position among those 10 players who made the jump to MLB via posting. Unlike many of them, Song was never a can't-miss prospect who seemed destined for success, either in South Korea or abroad.

Tom Krasovic: Newest Padre could prove beneficial for Manny Machado, continue Pacific Rim pipeline - San Diego Union-Tribune
Call it 16 to 28 starts at third base for Song. That’s the range of starts Machado’s top backup made over the seasons not counting the pandemic-shortened year. Other than the righty Kim, those top stand-ins were righty Ty France (2019), switch-hitter Donovan Solano (2024) and righty Jose Iglesias (2025).

Song, echoing President of Baseball Operations A.J. Preller and manager Craig Stammen, said he expects to fill in at several spots.

Second base was Song’s secondary position in South Korea, but if Jake Cronenworth, a left-handed hitter, remains the starter, Song may be redundant.

The 6-foot Song might fill in at first base, and outfield duty in spring camp is on tap, said Stammen, noting the super-utility versatility the Dodgers have gleaned from Kike Hernandez and La Jolla’s Tommy Edman.

Pirates to sign Ryan O’Hearn, add another bat to improving offense: Sources - The Athletic
Just days after acquiring power-hitting second baseman Brandon Lowe, the Pittsburgh Pirates have made another upgrade to their lineup, agreeing to a two-year, $29 million deal with free-agent outfielder/first baseman Ryan O’Hearn, league sources confirmed to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.

The 32-year-old O’Hearn delivered a career season in 2025, extending a run of previously unanticipated success. He batted .281 with 17 home runs and 63 RBIs, all individual highs. He represented the Baltimore Orioles in his first All-Star Game. His success attracted the San Diego Padres, who traded a bevy of prospects to acquire O’Hearn and outfielder Ramón Laureano at the July trade deadline.