Tampa Bay's highest salary Kim Ha-sung prepares hard to win the World Series, announces the official contract
Feb 04, 2025
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Tampa Bay and Kim Ha-sung were waiting for medical results after agreeing to a two-year, $29 million contract last week.
Kim Ha-sung said in a video interview prepared by the Tampa Bay club that `I was injured last season, but now I'm in good shape. I thank the club officials for trusting me and giving me a good contract. "I will work hard to prepare Tampa Bay to win the World Series" expressed his feelings.
Regarding shoulder surgery that he underwent in October last year, "The test results are in good condition. He is doing well in his rehabilitation. I will talk to the club, but I want to come back healthy as soon as possible. I think it will be the end of April or early May."
Contrary to what most local media see as mid-to-late May, Kim Ha-sung is confident of returning more than two weeks earlier than that.
Kim Ha-sung's two-year contract with Tampa Bay has a guaranteed amount of $29 million. Kim Ha-sung can exercise an opt-out later this year, and he will receive a bonus of up to $2 million if he fills a certain number of at-bats this season. If you receive all the bonuses without opt-out and play until 2026, the total will increase to up to $31 million, but if you make a satisfactory performance this year, you can go back to the FA market.
It is interesting that this contract signed by Kim Ha-sung and Tampa Bay is the second largest FA fielder in the club's history. The four-year, $34 million contract signed with Greg Vaughan in December 1999 is the highest ransom for an FA fielder in Tampa Bay history.
However, it is noteworthy that the contract, which Tampa Bay made Kim Ha-sung the highest salary in the team this season, revealed the dark reality of the Major League.
The Tampa Bay Times (TBT), the largest media outlet in western Florida, published an article titled 'An additional example of the Major League system being broken by Raith's contract with Kim Ha-sung. The content is simple. The gap between the rich and the poor in the Major League has widened to the extent that Kim Ha-sung became the highest salary in Tampa Bay this year.
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In other words, as FA contracts are mainly conducted by big market clubs, it has become a general phenomenon that the income gap widens, and accordingly, it threatens the nobility of Major League Baseball. There is nothing new about it.
Reporter Romano added 'Wander Franco is the only player in Tampa Bay's 27-year history to sign more than $125 million. However, the Dodgers have signed seven contracts worth more than $125 million in the last four years. 'That's nothing to be insulted, it's not to be accused of. The Dodgers said they only did what the big market club would do.
Franco signed an 11-year, $182 million ultra-long-term contract after the end of the 2021 season. This is not an FA contract. According to Romano, Kim Ha-sung's salary this year is not even in the top 10 in the Dodgers. To be precise, they are tied for 12th place with Chris Taylor and Kirby Yates. However, in Tampa Bay, Kim Ha-sung is No. 1.
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The move is aimed at listing swingman Alex Piedo, who was brought in through a trade with the Detroit Tigers, on the 40-man roster. Tampa Bay received a paedo and gave up cash with 20-year-old minor league catcher Anderson Delgado.
Basabe's eyes are on him because he is a former top prospect in Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay traded Basabe from the Texas Rangers in December 2020 along with outfielder Eriverito Hernandez and first baseman Alexander Obayes. At the time, Tampa Bay sent Jake Guenther, Nathaniel Law and Carl Chester to Texas.
Basabe, who continued his steady growth in the minor leagues after moving to Tampa Bay, made his major league debut in August of that year after rising to sixth place in Tampa Bay in the 2023 prospect rankings. He stayed in the big league until the end of the season, marking a batting average of 0.218, one home run, 12 RBIs, and 0.587 OPS in 31 games, covering second and third bases while mainly watching shortstop.
However, he suffered a wrist injury last year and suffered a slump with a batting average of 0.248 and an OPS of 0.629 in 66 Triple-A games. With Kim Ha-sung in this situation, Basabe is no longer in a position to get a chance.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
