There are two days left! Kim Hye-sung's worst-case scenario, whether everyone will be surprised by a contract or a failure

Jan 02, 2025

There are two days left! Kim Hye-sung's worst-case scenario, whether everyone will be surprised by a contract or a failure
Kiwoom Kim Hye-sung, the second baseman's defense award, is speaking at the 2024 KBO Awards held at Lotte Hotel World on the 26th. Jamsil = Reporter Heo Sang-wook wook@sportschosun.com /2024.11.26/



There are two days left! Kim Hye-sung's worst-case scenario, whether everyone will be surprised by a contract or a failure
The 2024 KBO Golden Glove Awards ceremony was held at the COEX Auditorium in Samseong-dong, Seoul on the afternoon of the 13th. Kim Hye-sung, who won the Golden Glove 2nd baseman category. Coach Park Jung-eum is receiving the award by proxy. Samseong-dong = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2024.12.13/
What will happen to Kim Hye-sung's fate two days before the posting negotiation period to advance to the Major League.

Kim Hye-sung, who was posted to 30 lightbulbs through the Major League Secretariat on the 5th of last month (Korea time), must play in the KBO League this year if he fails to sign a contract until the 30th of the negotiation period closes at 7 a.m. on the 4th.

There are two reasons why no news of the contract has been heard so far. There is a high possibility that there are multiple clubs that have not received satisfactory offers from any other clubs or have made similar offers to the extent that it is difficult to distinguish superiority and inferiority. At the moment, it seems close to the latter.




It is not known exactly where Kim Hye-sung is now with two days left before the negotiation deadline, but it is highly likely that he has been offered acceptable conditions, considering local media reports.

Since Kim Hye-sung's posting was announced early last month, local experts have considered Kim Hye-sung's chances of success in the big league to be low. Compared to the San Diego Padres' Kim Ha-sung (FA), which is a 'precedent', Kim Hye-sung, who has excellent skills in defense and contact heating, was recommended to a team with a poor central position.

There are two days left! Kim Hye-sung's worst-case scenario, whether everyone will be surprised by a contract or a failure
Kim Hye-sung. Sports Chosun DB
On the 2nd, MLB.com evaluated Kim Ha-sung, Harrison Bader, and Kim Hye-sung in an article titled 「Checking the FA market for the New Year」.




Regarding Kim Hye-sung, the media said, "'Kim Hye-sung dreams of moving to the big league this winter after playing eight seasons with the KBO Kiwoom Heroes.'" The 25-year-old, a high-level contact heater, hit .326 with 30 steals last season and received three golden gloves in his career. He said he was a second baseman twice and a shortstop once. It can also be said that it is an evaluation that focuses on the ability to hit the ball and defense.

ESPN has offered $16.5 million for three years and MLBTR $24 million for three years, respectively, for Kim Hye-sung's expected ransom. The average annual salary is $5.5 million and $8 million, respectively. At this level, it doesn't seem bad for the first step in the big league in the KBO.

Kim Ha-sung signed a four-year guarantee with San Diego in December 2020. It is a condition of an average annual salary of $7 million, and MLBTR's three-year, $24 million is considered reasonable if Kim Hye-sung is one year older than Kim Ha-sung at the time of posting and is one step below the home run-run record with similar defensive skills.




There are two days left! Kim Hye-sung's worst-case scenario, whether everyone will be surprised by a contract or a failure
Kim Hye-sung. Sports Chosun DB
But the worst cannot be ruled out. This year, the FA market is said to be moving the most vigorously in the offseason since 2020, when the coronavirus struck. There are still big FA left in the market, but top-class FA such as Juan Soto, Corbin Burns, Willy Adames, Blake Snell and Max Fried rushed to sign contracts in astronomical conditions as if they had promised since the winter meeting in December last year.

This is proof that each club's pocket situation is not bad, but there is a strong atmosphere to try an active offer for interested FA and make it a quick decision 'our team player'. Conversely, there is a possibility that the unattractive FA did not receive the offer properly. This is why FA below the middle level are struggling. In other words, Kim Hye-sung can belong to this category.

However, given that local scouts have mostly positively evaluated Kim Hye-sung's defense-base and contact heating, it is not believed that the clubs offered an offer of 'cheap'. The movement of the market is difficult for anyone to predict. There are also unexpected results.

There is a case in which Ko Woo-seok, who tried to enter the U.S. with the permission of the LG Twins a year ago, moved to the U.S. on January 4th last year, ahead of the posting deadline, and agreed to a contract with the San Diego Padres '2+1 year'. The two-year guarantee was $4.5 million, and it was a condition to earn up to $9.4 million over three years if all mutual options, incentives, and escalator provisions were satisfied for the third year.

Kim Hye-sung may also be able to deliver surprising news of the contract from both the U.S. and South Korea.



This article was translated by Naver AI translator.