There is a senior who broke the hair loss + 9126 billion barrier...There is an easy team to start, but why is Kim Hye-sung pessimistic about going to Dodgers so early
Jan 05, 2025
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Kim Ha-sung (30), who declared his U.S. Major League challenge ahead of the 2021 season, joined hands with the San Diego Padres. The contract is worth 28 million U.S. dollars for four years. It is a large amount based on the KBO league, but it was difficult to say that it was at the level of guaranteeing the starting lineup in the Major League.
Major shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. (26) was holding out in San Diego. Tatis Jr. was a special shortstop with outstanding defensive skills and power to hit more than 20 home runs in the season. At the time of the 2021 season, I was 23 years old. It seemed natural for the club to continue to raise Tatis Jr., who is younger and better than Kim Ha-sung, as its main shortstop. San Diego even gave Tatis Jr. a 14-year, $340 million (about 50.4 billion won) extension ahead of the 2021 season. It seemed almost impossible for Kim Ha-sung to compete for the main shortstop.
Still, Kim Ha-sung wore a San Diego uniform, saying he would try. At the time of signing, a close aide to Kim Ha-sung said "It is true that San Diego and the Toronto Blue Jays were the finalists. Some teams would have been relatively easy to establish themselves as the main players, but Kim Ha-sung said he wanted to go to a team with good infielders and grow. He explained, "I think I can learn better if I see players like Manny Machado (33) from the side."
The first year was as expected. From third baseman Machado to shortstop Tatis Jr. and second baseman Jake Cronenworth (31), the walls of the main players who occupied positions where Kim Ha-sung could play were so high. It was worth drawing a competition with Cronenworth, who spent the season being selected as the first All-Star in 2021. Kim Ha-sung only played 117 games, batted .202 (54 hits in 267 at-bats), had eight home runs, 34 RBIs and an OPS of 0.622, failing to adapt quickly to the balls of major league pitchers.
In an interview with the U.S. media 'The Athletic', Kim Ha-sung confessed that he even had a circular hair loss, looking back on his difficult debut season.
"That was when I really hit rock bottom mentally in my baseball career," Kim said. I didn't think he was suitable for Major League Baseball, and I thought, "Should I go back to Korea?"He confessed.
Still, Kim Ha-sung was able to continue to hold out in the major leagues thanks to his defense ability to perform at the top no matter which position he gave to shortstop, second baseman, or third baseman. I followed my luck. Tatis Jr. injured his wrist while riding a motorcycle ahead of the 2022 season and failed to join the opening game, and he was suspended from 80 games for taking banned drugs during his rehabilitation period, failing to play in the 2022 season at all. At this time, Kim Ha-sung took over the main shortstop. Tatis Jr. was lucky to give up his seat on his own, but Kim Ha-sung was well prepared, so he could turn his luck into an opportunity.
Ahead of the 2023 season, San Diego gave Kim Ha-sung another ordeal. At that time, Xander Bogaerts (33), the largest FA shortstop, was recruited for 280 million dollars (about 412.1 billion won) in 11 years. In fact, it was a declaration that he would no longer use Kim Ha-sung as the main shortstop. San Diego used Bogaerts as shortstop in 2023, turning Kim Ha-sung into second baseman, Cronenworth into first baseman, and Tatis Jr., who has frequent shoulder dislocation injuries, into an outfielder.
Kim Ha-sung was not swayed by the joining of Bogaerts. He had the first gold glove (National League Utility Division) as an Asian infielder, having his best season as a second baseman in 2023, and thanks to his recognition of defense, he pushed out Bogaerts last season and sewed back the main shortstop. Kim Ha-sung proved his survival value in the Major League by jumping over all the ridiculous $620 million (about 912.6 billion won) by adding the ransom of Tatis Jr. and Bogaerts, and is now looking for a new team in the FA market.
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The Dodgers are also a team with fierce competition for the starting lineup. Kim Hye-sung is a player who can play second and shortstop, and next season's Dodgers Keystone Combi is tied with shortstop Mookie Betts (33) and second baseman Gavin Lux (28). Betts is an MVP typewriter that doesn't need more explanation, and Kim Hye-sung has to prepare for competition with Lux. Lux always has a question mark on his defense.
Kim Hye-sung must first gain the upper hand in the competition with Lux through defense. Gold Glove defender Tommy Edman (29) is a backup candidate, but Edman is expected to secure more playing time as a center fielder. Competition with veterans Chris Taylor (35) and Miguel Rojas (36) is also not easy, and Kim Hye-sung is the first player in KBO history to win both shortstop and second baseman Golden Glove. Even if the batting is a little unstable like Kim Ha-sung, Kim Hye-sung can also be recognized for his use in the Major League if he consistently shows stable defense whenever he has a chance.
The Dodgers explained that the contract with Kim Hye-sung was not 'surprise'. In March last year, the Dodgers played a warm-up match against 'Team Korea' before playing the opening series against the San Diego Padres in Seoul. Team Korea convened domestic prospects comparable to the national team, and Kim Hye-sung was included, of course. Kim Hye-sung seems to have impressed the Dodgers front and manager Dave Roberts by losing long balls to Dodgers fastball pitcher Bobby Miller (26) and showing off his defensive stability.
Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said, `I think we've got a really talented player, and we'll see how we'll use it. I don't know if you noticed how much we struggled with injuries last year, but having a player who can cover various positions really helps a lot. Kim Hye-sung showed outstanding athletic ability and explosive power in the Seoul Series warm-up match. He is very fast on his feet, has good defense in many positions, and has advantages in hitting. He did not hide his expectations for Kim Hye-sung.
Will Kim Hye-sung be able to prove his value in the Major League by surviving a fierce competition for survival in the Dodgers like his senior Kim Ha-sung.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
