Kim Hye-sung put in an offer. Is it SD again?How much is Kim Ha-sung 41.2 billion → Ko Woo-seok 6.6 billion → Kim Hye-sung
Jan 01, 2025
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The San Diego Times reported on the 1st (Korea time) that "San Diego was one of the teams Kim Hye-sung contacted before returning to Korea.". The media claims that San Diego has already put an offer on Kim Hye-sung.
It raises questions about whether San Diego will recruit a Korean player again. San Diego signed infielder Kim Ha-sung (30) for four years and 28 million dollars (about 41.2 billion won) ahead of the 2021 season, and signed pitcher Ko Woo-seok (27) for two years and 4.5 million dollars (about 6.6 billion won) ahead of last season. Their moves were polarizing. Kim Ha-sung became the first Asian infielder to win the Gold Glove last year, growing into the San Diego flagship infielder, and Ko Woo-seok was traded to the Miami Marlins after only moving around in the minor leagues. San Diego reinforced its power by bringing in Luis Aras (28), the batting king, instead of giving up several prospects, including Ko Woo-seok.
Will the San Diego Padres leave behind the failure of Ko Woo-suk's contract and recruit a Korean player for the second consecutive year. If Kim Hye-sung is recruited, how big of a contract will he offer. Considering San Diego's financial situation, which has been continuously reducing the total salary of the team recently, no good conditions are expected.
The East Village Times reported 'San Diego already recruited Kim Ha-sung from South Korea before the 2021 season. Kim Ha-sung recently became an FA, and it is unclear which team he will sign. San Diego may still be interested in Kim Ha-sung, but it will cost a lot of money,' he said, stressing that he should look for a replacement for Kim Ha-sung.
Kim Hye-sung, a Korean player whose name is very similar to Kim Ha-sung, is said to have received a contract offer from San Diego. Kim Hye-sung has little time left until January 3, the deadline for posting in the U.S. local time. Kim Hye-sung reportedly met with multiple clubs and returned to Korea, with San Diego being one of them.
Kim Hye-sung was posted through the KBO and Major League secretariat on the 5th of last month. Kim Hye-sung is free to negotiate with 30 Major League teams, but has to complete his contract by 7 a.m. on the 4th.
When Kim Hye-sung returned home on the 29th of last month after staying in the U.S. for negotiations, there were concerns that the Major League challenge became difficult. As a result of checking the facts, Kim Hye-sung received a special military exemption for the gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games, but returned to Korea for now due to restrictions on his overseas stay due to his alternative service period. In the U.S., Kim Hye-sung's agency, CAA Sports, is continuing negotiations, and if a contract is imminent, it is expected to fly to the U.S. again.
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Kim Hye-sung's infield defense was high-quality in the KBO. The East Village Times reported that Kim Hye-sung, a left-handed hitter, played shortstop, second base and left field for eight years in the KBO League. He is the only player in KBO history to receive both second and shortstop golden gloves. He said that he is evaluated as an infielder above average in defense and is very useful in the infield.
He said the batting has clear advantages and disadvantages. The East Village Times reported 'Kim Hye-sung is a very fast hitter, but he has very weak slugging power. Still, he recorded 211 steals in Korea. Kim Hye-sung's career batting average is 0.304, and he struggled in the first three seasons after his debut. Last season, Kim posted a batting average of 0.326 in 127 games and 509 at-bats. In all four seasons, he has hit over .300. His overall OPS in the KBO is 0.766. It means that power is very scarce. I hit 11 home runs last season and it was a career high. There are 37 home runs in eight KBO seasons. Considering Kim Hye-sung is the same type of batter as Araes, he is usually a batter who makes in-play batting. Kim Hye-sung stressed that she has earned more walks than Araes throughout her career, with a career on-base percentage of 0.364 proving this.
Like other overseas league players, the period of adaptation to the big league has emerged as another variable. Kim Ha-sung moved to the U.S. with a batting average of 0.306, 30 homers, 23 steals, and 109 RBIs in 2020, his last season playing for the Kiwoom Heroes, but had the most sluggish year in his debut season amid irregular opportunities. Kim Ha-sung hit only 0.202 with eight home runs, 34 RBIs and an OPS of 0.62 in the 2021 season.
The East Village Times reported 'Kim Hye-sung is definitely a highly utilized player, but he will experience growing pains as he adjusts to the major leagues. The danger is here,' he coolly pointed to the reality.
As the deadline for posting is approaching, the U.S. media is releasing news on Kim Hye-sung little by little. While the Seattle Mariners are considered the most likely destinations, San Diego, Toronto Blue Jays, Cincinnati Reds, and Los Angeles Angels are mentioned. There is no mention of the size of the contract, but there are voices that Kim Hye-sung has not received the offer he wants.
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Reporter Kim Min-kyung rina1130@sportschosun.com
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
