'Kim Ha-sung in crisis, there's nowhere to go?' MLB.COM's winter meeting is about to check the necessary players for each club, and there is no mention of Kim Ha-sung

Dec 08, 2024

I can't find the name of Kim Ha-sung (29) anywhere. Wouldn't it be an FA (free contract) lost child.

News was poured out by U.S. local media on the 8th (Korea time) that the San Francisco Giants, who were mentioned as Kim Ha-sung's likely destination, agreed to sign FA shortstop Willie Adames. San Francisco made a big bet of seven years - $182 million (about 259.2 billion won) to bring Adames.

In a desperate situation to recruit shortstop, the recruitment of Adames, who has both long-range power and defense, was inevitable. San Francisco made the most reasonable choice.

Interest in Kim Ha-sung's destination is growing after the news that San Francisco signed Adames. In fact, it can be seen as a shocking result considering that Kim Ha-sung's leading destination has not come out other than San Francisco since the opening of the stove league. We need to find the next best option.

The problem is that there is not much demand for Kim Ha-sung.

MLB.COM published a planning article on next week's MLB Winter Meeting a few hours after the contract agreement between San Francisco and Adames was reported. It is about the 'maximum demand part for each club participating in the Winter meeting'. Thirty major league teams have detailed recruitment parts and candidate players that they aim for first during the winter meeting.

Of course, it cannot be concluded that the FA market will develop according to this content. However, it should be taken seriously that Kim Ha-sung's name did not appear at all at a time when the demand for each club is clearly stated. This is because it is a simple example of being completely turned away from the market.

First of all, few of the 30 clubs want Kim Ha-sung's position. There are only six clubs that want to strengthen their infielders first, including corner in-fielders (1st and 3rd basemen), including the Seattle Mariners, the Athletics, the Houston Astros (American League), the Colorado Rockies, the Milwaukee Brewers and the Washington Nationals (National League).

In addition, the shortstop that these clubs want is players who have defense and attack power. It is a little different from Kim Ha-sung's characteristics, which are more specialized in defense, on-base, and baserunning than slugging power.

Colorado wants a 'experienced second baseman' The Rockies launched a team rebuild in the 2024 season by hiring several young prospects. As many as 12 players under the age of 24 were on the roster. But the second baseman needs experience. There are promising players Adael Amador and Ryan Ritter, but they are not enough to take the lead in the new season. Therefore, he wants an experienced infielder through FA or trade.

The problem is that in this article, only the names of Tyro Estrada, Nick Madrigal, and John Bertie were mentioned as second baseman candidates that Colorado contacted with interest. Kim Ha-sung was not even mentioned.

Milwaukee, which sent Adames to San Francisco, also needs to recruit an infielder to fill his gap. MLB.COM mentioned potential candidates for recruitment, saying, `Milwick could consider recruiting shortstop agents through FA or trade, or recruiting second or third baseman and converting to shortstop for Joey Ortiz or Bryce Turang.' Kim Ha-sung's name did not appear in this section either.

The same was true of the analysis of Seattle. MLB.COM is trying to supplement the infielders that can change to first and third bases against Seattle. 'The second baseman is the least productive position since 2019, but the option within the team is more comfortable' he noted.

In addition, Washington, Houston, and the Astros want corner infielders (1st and 3rd base) with solid offensive power. Kim Ha-sung is a character who doesn't match.

Kim Ha-sung was ranked 17th in the FA ranking evaluated by MLB.COM last month. It is thanks to his winning the Gold Glove in the utility category of the National League in the 2023 season, and his batting average of 260 and 17 home runs, 60 RBIs, 38 steals, and an OPS of 0.749.

However, injuries and surgical experience in the second half of this season are becoming fatal disadvantages. Kim Ha-sung had shoulder pain against Colorado on August 19 and eventually underwent surgery last October while rehabilitating. It is expected that he will not be able to return until the first half of 2025. He will return as early as May.

In the end, if Kim Ha-sung is recruited, it means that he cannot immediately use it as a full-strength until he returns anyway. The most basic reason MLB clubs recruit FA is to strengthen team power. From the beginning of the season, we are trying to recruit players who help the team's power first.

However, if Kim Ha-sung is recruited, it means that he has to wait until May. Moreover, even if he returns, he cannot guarantee his best condition. In the end, Kim Ha-sung may not be an attractive recruitment target at all from the standpoint of MLB, which is trying to recruit stove league players. There is a possibility that this stove league will be a colder season than ever for Kim Ha-sung.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.