I don't want you to catch me… 261.1 billion won, and again, Kim Ha Sung? Did you mean it when you asked Lee Junghoo
Jan 21, 2025
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San Francisco Giants outfielder Lee Jung-hoo (27) told the back story of FA infielder Kim Ha-sung (30) when he left for the U.S. to prepare for the season on the 13th. The San Francisco club asked Lee Jung-hoo a question about Kim Ha-sung. At least, the club could think that it was interested in Kim Ha-sung.
Lee Jung-hoo said "Actually, the club can also ask. It is true that he asked about his physical condition. However, he couldn't ask (Kim)Ha-sung to bring him back. I think I couldn't ask him to hold me because I asked not only Ha-sung but also the players who are playing in Korea"But I still hope Ha-sung will be treated well no matter which team he plays for and always does well on that team. I haven't heard anything about the contract yet, but I think I'll sign a good team and tell you good news soon."
San Francisco was classified as a representative team that needed to reinforce shortstop this winter. This is why it was often mentioned as Kim Ha-sung's destination. However, as Kim Ha-sung had a variable of shoulder surgery after last season, the ransom, which was expected to be more than $100 million (about 1441.1 billion won) before the opening of the FA, fell to less than half.
While Kim Ha-sung's stock price fell, San Francisco quickly recruited Willy Adames (30), the biggest shortstop FA. It signed a large contract worth 182 million dollars for seven years. As long as San Francisco invested a large amount of money, the main shortstop was Adames unconditionally. This is why the link between Kim Ha-sung and San Francisco became loose.
The U.S. media has been connecting Kim Ha-sung with the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, and San Diego Padres for a while, but recently predicted that he will go to San Francisco again.
The Major League website MLB.com picked San Francisco as a suitable destination for Kim Ha-sung on the 21st (Korea time).
The media reported that "San Francisco is lagging behind the strong teams in the National League even after recruiting Adames and pitcher Justin Verlander (42). Although it cannot be reversed just because Kim Ha-sung, Lee Jung-hoo's KBO-era teammate, who San Francisco recruited last off-season, joins, he said he has the potential to make San Francisco a threat in the National League wild-card race if he can solve the expected weaknesses at second base and fully recover his health after right shoulder surgery.
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MLB.com recently listed Fitzgerald as a Keystone combination, but it needs to be a little more realistic about his expectations. He had 15 homers and 132wRC+ (adjusted scoring ability) in 341 at-bats in the 2024 rookie season, but there are reasons to be skeptical he'll go further. He produced just one home run in the last 36 games of last season, posting an OPS of 0.592. And Steamer, the most reliable grade forecasting system, said he looked to be a below-average hitter in 2025.
MLB Network reporter John Morosi also picked San Francisco as a suitable destination for Kim Ha-sung on the 16th. Morosi "San Francisco has signed shortstop Adames, but what about the second baseman? "We have Fitzgerald as second baseman, and when the time comes, Kim Ha-sung could potentially share the burden on Fitzgerald," a similar comment to MLB.com said.
The reason why Kim Ha-sung is constantly receiving attention in the FA market despite his shoulder injury is because of his outstanding defense. He began to be called the top infielder in the Major League by playing stable defense in any position, including shortstop, second baseman, or third baseman in San Diego. In 2023, he also became the first Asian infielder to win the Gold Glove in the National League Utility category.
However, some say that the hitting is less explosive than during the KBO League. Kim Ha-sung was a batter who was able to hit .300 with 30 home runs and 30 steals in the KBO League, but in the Major League, he has a batting average of .260 and 17 home runs in 2023. Even considering that Kim Ha-sung mainly played shortstop, the main opinion is that the batting is a little disappointing. Instead, the number of stolen bases recorded 38 in 2023 and 22 last year, maintaining their main strengths.
Kim Ha-sung started his big league challenge by signing a four-year, $28 million contract with San Diego ahead of the 2021 season. Kim Ha-sung, who has been the main player since 2022, recorded a career performance of 540 games, a batting average of 0.242 (418 hits in 1725 at-bats), 47 homers, 78 steals, 200 RBIs, 229 points, and an OPS of 0.706.
Which team uniform will Kim Ha-sung wear as he prepares for his fifth season in the Major League. Will San Francisco continue its interest in asking questions related to Kim Ha-sung to Lee Jung-hoo until the contract.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
