`If your shoulders are not injured, there is little difference from Soto.' U.S. media, which is lamenting day after day, spreads an atmosphere of reversal due to Kim Ha-sung's undervaluation

Nov 19, 2024

If your shoulders are not injured, there is little difference from Soto.' U.S. media, which is lamenting day after day, spreads an atmosphere of reversal due to Kim Ha-sung's undervaluation
FA Kim Ha-sung would have easily received a contract of more than $100 million if he finished the season healthy, local media believe. AP Yonhap News



If your shoulders are not injured, there is little difference from Soto.' U.S. media, which is lamenting day after day, spreads an atmosphere of reversal due to Kim Ha-sung's undervaluation
FA maximal word Juan Soto. AFP Yonhap News
Kim Ha-sung rejected the mutual option with the San Diego Padres and went to the FA market because he had his own strategy.

In addition, when Kim Ha-sung replaced his agent with Scott Boras just before the mutual option was rejected, local media showed great interest in Boras' FA strategy, making various observations.

However, there is one thing in common among observational articles. I wonder what it would have been like if Kim Ha-sung finished his fourth season in San Diego this year in good health. It is a nuance of regretting that a contract worth more than $100 million for more than five years without any problems would have been easy.



Willy Adames is the biggest shortstop in the FA market. He played in 161 games with the Milwaukee Brewers this season and marked a batting average of 0.251 (153 hits in 610 at-bats), 32 homers, 112 RBIs, 93 points, 21 steals, and an OPS of 0.794. He showed career high in almost all categories, including home runs, RBIs, runs, hits, and stolen bases.

Regarding the expected contract size of Adames, ESPN offered $189 million for seven years, MLBTR offered $160 million for six years, FanGraphs offered $145 million for five years, Bleacher Report for seven years, and The Athletic for six years and $150 million. It can be considered to be among the highest level of shortstop FA in history.



If your shoulders are not injured, there is little difference from Soto.' U.S. media, which is lamenting day after day, spreads an atmosphere of reversal due to Kim Ha-sung's undervaluation
FA Kim Ha-sung does not receive the qualifying offer from the original team, so no transfer compensation occurs. USATODAY Yonhap News
If your shoulders are not injured, there is little difference from Soto.' U.S. media, which is lamenting day after day, spreads an atmosphere of reversal due to Kim Ha-sung's undervaluation
FA shortstop largest fish Milwaukee Brewers. UPI Yonhap News
If Kim Ha-sung had not just injured his shoulder and had only surgery, he would have boasted as much market value as Adames. Even if Kim Ha-sung's hitting power is lower than Adames, there is nothing to lose. In particular, defense and base running have been evaluated as having the best skills in the major leagues.

For this reason, there is a prospect that Kim Ha-sung may hit an unexpected jackpot.



MLB.com mentioned Kim Ha-sung for the third time after starting pitchers Shane Bieber and Walker Buehler in an article titled 「5 FA Better Than You Think」 on the 18th (Korea Standard Time).

Reporter Andrew Simon, who wrote the article, presupposed that `Kim Ha-sung has two problems that hinder him from getting a big contract this winter.'First of all, the most important thing is that he ruptured his right shoulder's wavelength in August and ended the season early and underwent surgery. As a result, he could return after the opening game of next season.

On October 11, Kim Ha-sung underwent a suture surgery on his right shoulder with the guide of Dr. Neil Elatrice in LA. Rehabilitation takes at least six months and can return after mid-April next year at the earliest. Even if he returns, it is uncertain whether he will regain his previous skills through offense and defense. In other words, it is difficult to sign a successful contract because of this.

Reporter Simon then said, `The second is that we lack the firepower of attacks that traditionally give us a big hit. He only posted a batting average of 0.242 and a slugging percentage of 0.380, in four seasons with the Padres, pointing out that he is not a power heater.

However, it also introduced clear and differentiated strengths that contrast with shortcomings.

If your shoulders are not injured, there is little difference from Soto.' U.S. media, which is lamenting day after day, spreads an atmosphere of reversal due to Kim Ha-sung's undervaluation
Kim Ha-sung's agent Scott Boras. AP Yonhap News
Reporter Simon said 'Nevertheless, the reason why Kim Ha-sung's value is high is that he has the opposite characteristics of FA such as Pete Alonso. Kim Ha-sung doesn't hit like Alonso, but he provides excellent defense while watching premium positions (strikes) and has excellent base learning. He said, "'He has the ability to handle bats, so he floats the ball enough to hit double-digit home runs, and he knows how to balance patience and contact ability.'"

In conclusion, when these points are combined, Kim Ha-sung showed the productivity of 'Top 20' in the bWAR category for 2022-2023 and two years. There is not much difference from Juan Soto. Kim Ha-sung marked a bWAR of 4.9 in 2022 and 5.8 in 2023, while Soto marked a bWAR of 5.5 for the second consecutive year. Kim Ha-sung recorded 10.7 and Soto 11.0 for two years, so the difference is not big.

However, reporter Simon said 'Even if you sign a long-term contract, you will not be able to approach the level that power heater Adames receives in terms of the total amount. However, it would not be surprising if healthy Kim Ha-sung showed a similar level of performance to Adames.

In the end, there is room for him to regain his health and revive his offense.



jhno@sportschosun.com