The San Diego Padres have been linked to a lot of trades this winter, especially in trading away their own players to new teams.
But, the Padres have begun adding in recent days, re-signing Michael King to a $75 million contract, and according to Francys Romero of beisbolrf.com, Korean infielder Sung-mun Song to a $13 million contract.
With Song now on the roster, how does the current 2026 Padres projected lineup look? While some spots are subject to change in the coming weeks, for now, the 2026 Padres lineup is an interesting roster of players.
Padres projected lineup for 2026 after $13 million Song Sung-mun singing
Some of these players have been mentioned in trade rumors, but as of now, all of the Padres listed are still on the roster and would factor into the projected lineup.
1. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
2. Jackson Merrill, CF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Ramon Laureano, LF
5. Jake Cronenworth, 1B
6. Xander Bogaerts, SS
7. Gavin Sheets, DH
8. Freddy Fermin, C
9. Sung-mun Song, 2B
Song is taking over for Luis Arraez at second base, and giving the Padres an interesting lineup. There's a balance between right-handers and left-handers, and Song hitting from the left side of the plate helps round out the lineup.
Laureano and Cronenworth are both subject to trade rumors this winter. While nothing is close with either, it wouldn't be a surprise if by the start of the 2026 season, one or both were traded as the Padres manage their payroll.
The majority of the lineup is well-known to Padres fans, but the addition of Song is worth delving into a bit more. He's a left-handed hitter who hit.315 in 2025 and.340 in 2024 in the KBO.
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He also had a.927 and.917 OPS in the last two seasons, and while he's not a profound power-hitter like some other free agents, he hit 26 homers in 2025, much more than Arraez.
Song is a contact hitter and can also provide some quality power. Adding him to the bottom of the lineup, if his game can translate to the Major Leagues, would make this lineup a very dangerous one.
Even if Laureano and Cronenworth are dealt, this lineup can still contend with the top teams in the league. Song's addition rounds out the lineup, and while some more changes could be on the horizon, for now, this lineup is more than capable of going on a postseason run.
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