Padres made offer to KBO star Hyeseong Kim this winter
Credit: YNA
KBO star Hyeseong Kim is a free agent, and the San Diego Padres have made him an offer.Â
It is very quiet in Padre land these days, but you get a feeling a flurry of moves is coming.
The Padres are attempting to add talent while adjusting their payroll. This is not an easy task, but the Padres have the talent to be creative via trade.
When Roki Sasaki finally signs this winter, we will have a better sense of how the Padres will attack the off-season.
Until then, the team is “dumpster diving” for talent. The Padres have already signed three interesting outfielders to minor-league contracts. Moises Gomez, Yonathan Perlaza, and Oscar Gonzalez are not household names, but each man is 26 and capable of stepping up this coming season. Expect more signings like this.
The Padres are also active in scouting the KBO.
In Korea, the Padres already plucked Ha-Seong Kim before the 2021 season. The infielder is currently a free agent, and it remains to be seen where he will sign. The Padres may still have interest, but it will come down to cost.
A Korean player with a name that is very similar to Ha-Seong Kim is Hyseong Kim, and the Padres have reportedly made him a contract offer.
Kim was posted in early December and has until January 3 to sign in the U.S. Time is running out.
It is reported that Kim is back in Korea after meeting with several teams. The Padres were one of them. His departure to Korea was a formality as his travel visa expired, and I am sure he wanted to be home for the New Year.
The left-handed hitter is 25 and has played eight years in the KBO. Kim can play shortstop, second base, and left field. He is the only infielder in the history of the KBO to win a Gold Glove at second base and shortstop. He is regarded as a plus defender in the infield. Kim is a useful player on the baseball diamond.
The speedy hitter has very little power but owns 211 career steals overseas. Kim is a career .304 hitter, though his numbers are swayed a bit as he struggled slightly in his first three seasons in the league. Last season, Kim produced a .326 average in 127 games and 509 at-bats. He has hit over .300 in the last four seasons.
His OPS is at the .766 mark for his career in the KBO, as he simply doesn’t have much power. Kim slugged 11 homers last season, which is a career-high for him. He owns 37 dingers in his eight seasons in Korea. Think of him as a Luis Arraez-type hitter, as Kim generally puts the ball in play. He walks a lot more than Arraez, and his career, 364 OBP, shows that.
He may be useful to some degree, but the growing pains will happen as he adjusts to life in the majors. There is risk here.
Kim is linked to the Padres, and according to this video, San Diego has made him an offer.
Hye Seong Kim has an offer from 5 teams according this video.https://t.co/HswlWtLdhv#Mariners #Angels #Padres #BlueJays #Reds
— Suhp???? (@psuh89) December 31, 2024
In the video, they mention that one team offered Kim three years and $20 million. That seems unrealistic, but it may have happened.
There is still a possibility that Kim remains in Korea to play. He may enjoy the comfort of playing there and will surely receive offers from his native land.
The fit is there for the Padres, as he would likely cost fractions of his capability. There is a lot of risk here, though, as Kim was not a superstar by any means in Korea. He was a good player, but how would that transition to life as a major leaguer? The velocity from pitchers alone will be an issue. The Padres may be wise to look elsewhere for help.
In the coming days, we will see where Hyeseong Kim lands this winter.
James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.