Sep 27, 2021; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Cody Ponce (44) throws a pitch against the Cincinnati Reds during the second inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-Imagn Images David Kohl-Imagn Images

Padres Tabbed to Sign KBO Star in Free Agency

Originally posted on San Diego Padres on SI
By Aaron Coloma | Last updated Nov 15, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The San Diego Padres are in dire need of starting pitching this offseason, and ESPN's Jeff Passan has the "perfect" offseason move for them to make.

Both Michael King and Dylan Cease are free agents, and Yu Darvish will miss all of 2026 after undergoing surgery to repair his UCL at the end of October. With those three departures, along with Nestor Cortes' exit at the end of the season, the Padres are strapped for options when it comes to starters.

Filling four slots in the rotation is a tall task for any team, let alone the Padres, who are set to have the seventh highest payroll in baseball next season. To get around the issue of price, Passan believes the Padres should pursue right-hander Cody Ponce, who won the KBO's equivalent to the Cy Young award in 2025.

"The highest-ceiling low-cost starter might be an unfamiliar name, having spent the past four years in Asia, but the size and stuff are both big," Passan wrote. "And whoever gets him could reap the best return to America from Korea since Merrill Kelly. Sign free agent right-hander Cody Ponce."

The Milwaukee Brewers drafted Ponce out of Cal Poly Pomona in the second round of the 2015 MLB Draft, and traded him to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019. He made his MLB debut for the Pirates in 2020, pitching in five games while posting a 3.18 ERA.

His 2021 season was far less successful, as he made 15 appearances and posted a 7.04 ERA through 38.1 innings pitched. The Pirates released him at the end of the season, and he went overseas to continue pitching.

Ponce began his journey abroad in Japan, pitching three seasons in NPB and posting a 4.54 ERA through his 39 appearances.

He moved to the KBO in 2025 and immediately settled in with the Hanhwa Eagles, having a masterful season on the mound. He made 29 starts, maintaining a 17-1 record and posting a 1.89 ERA through 180.2 innings pitched. He struck out 252 batters last season, keeping a WHIP of 0.935.

Ponce would be a great addition to the Padres, and could very well fill a spot in the Padres' depleted rotation come the beginning of 2026 if they're to take a more conservative approach to free agency this winter.