Infielder Ha-Seong Kim has switched his illustration, in response to a report from Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Kim was beforehand represented by ISE Baseball however will now be represented by the Boras Company going ahead.
Kim, 29 later this month, is seemingly poised to enter free company this November. The infielder’s present contract with the Padres features a mutual possibility for the 2025 season however Kim is extensively anticipated to say no that $8MM possibility in favor of a $2MM buyout and take a look at the open market. It will likely be Kim’s first unencumbered journey by free company after signing with San Diego on a $28MM assure previous to the 2021 season after being posted to MLB by the Kiwoom Heroes of South Korea’s KBO. Whereas Kim was eligible to signal with any of the league’s 30 golf equipment for any amount of cash, the posting system comes with just a few caveats that don’t exist for a typical free agent such because the posting price that have to be paid to the participant’s former membership and particular home windows throughout which negotiations should happen.
With out these restrictions, Kim is more likely to get pleasure from a special expertise in his second time by MLB’s free agent course of. That’s additionally attributable to his efficiency on the sphere, in fact, as Kim has emerged as one of many prime infield choices on this winter’s class due to the typical offense and wonderful protection he flashed throughout his time in San Diego. Since turning into an on a regular basis participant with the Padres in 2022, Kim has slashed a stable .250/.336/.385 that’s good for a 106 wRC+, 6% higher than the league common hitter. He additionally flashed one of the best plate self-discipline of his profession this season with a 12.3% stroll fee in opposition to a wonderful 16.4% strikeout fee, and has chipped in 60 stolen bases in 74 makes an attempt over the previous two years.
Whereas Kim’s offensive growth since coming to stateside ball has been spectacular, the principle promoting level of the infielder’s profile stays his sturdy protection. Kim ranks seventeenth amongst all infielders over the past three years in Outs Above Common with a +21 determine and is the Eleventh-best infielder over that very same timeframe by DRS with a +30 that’s solely bested by Taylor Partitions, Miguel Rojas, and Dansby Swanson amongst shortstops throughout that point. Kim’s defensive worth is additional enhanced by his versatility, as he has proven himself to be a high quality defender at each second and third base along with shortstop.
With that being mentioned, Kim’s outlook in free company grew fairly a bit murkier final week when it was introduced that the infielder is ready to bear shoulder surgical procedure this offseason. With a lot of Kim’s worth tied to his defensive worth, the prospect of a significant process on his throwing shoulder might fear some potential suitors this winter and will complicate a free company that in any other case appeared to go away Kim in place to safe a robust multi-year assure. It’s a considerably uncommon state of affairs that Kim will now flip to the Boras Company, the company run by high-profile agent Scott Boras, to navigate.
Kim joins different high-profile free brokers within the upcoming class reminiscent of Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell, and Pete Alonso in being represented by Boras, who drew loads of consideration final winter because the free businesses of a handful of his prime shoppers dragged into Spring Coaching. Every of the so-called “Boras 4,” comprised of Snell, Matt Chapman, Cody Bellinger, and Jordan Montgomery, wound up taking short-term offers that typically met expectations by way of common annual worth however fell properly brief in total assure. It’s an strategy that’s drawn combined evaluations, with Montgomery switching his illustration amid a career-worst season with the Diamondbacks whereas Snell praised Boras and now seems more likely to head into free company underneath his steering for the second time in as many seasons. Chapman signed a hefty extension with the Giants final month in lieu of returning to the open market this winter whereas Bellinger’s upcoming resolution on his participant possibility stays up within the air.
Ought to Kim’s foray into free company not yield the sturdy payday that was anticipated previous to the announcement of his impending shoulder surgical procedure, it wouldn’t essentially be a shock to see Kim go for a shorter-term, option-laden cope with a excessive common annual worth just like those signed by every of these aforementioned gamers this winter. In spite of everything, it’s a technique that labored out fairly properly for Chapman, Snell, and even Boras shoppers from earlier than final winter reminiscent of Carlos Correa and Max Scherzer.
