Kim Hye-Seong to play in Korea next season? - Asian Baseballers

Breaking

Support Us

Wednesday, January 1, 2025

Kim Hye-Seong to play in Korea next season?

 




 



The market for Hye-Seong Kim is surprisingly quiet. SBS News’ Lee Seong-hun reported that Hye-Seong Kim has returned to Korea. This could or could not indicate whether he will sign with a major league team. The 25-year infielder from South Korea was posted on Dec. 4 but has not reached a deal with an MLB club as of now, as the deadline is fast approaching on January 3rd on Friday around 5 pm eastern U.S. time. 

 

If he cannot sign with an MLB team, they will not be able to post him again by Nov. 1, 2025. Though the American agency representing him is negotiating with several clubs, he seems to be lenient about how they negotiate for him. There may be an underlying reason for Kim’s sudden return. Kim received military exemption by winning the 2023 Asian Games gold medal. After 34 months, the exempted person is required to finish 544 hours of community service in exchange for the exemption.

 



Kim last season finished with a .326 batting average while hitting 11 homers, collecting 75 RBIs, and slugging .458. Since making his debut in 2017, his overall career numbers stand at a batting line of .306/.364/.403, bagging 211 steals. He is the only player in KBO history to win MVPs in two distinct, highly regarded positions: second base and shortstop. 

 

The posting system sets limits on the duration of negotiation periods. In Kim’s case, he has until Friday at 5 pm Eastern U.S. time or Saturday at 7 am Korea time.



 

Surprisingly, only five teams have offered him a contract, with the Blue Jays being the most recent. The others include the Seattle Mariners, the Cincinnati Reds, the Los Angeles Angels, and the Padres. Perhaps other teams just don’t need a Gold Glover to man their infield. But five doesn’t seem encouraging to me, considering the value he can bring to a team. 

 

If he does sign with an MLB team, he will surprise all the other 25 teams that haven’t offered him a contract yet. This kid hits for average, runs fast, and plays infield in Gold Glove fashion. He may even win a Gold Glove or Rookie of the Year in his first season. I know it seems like it’s boasting, but you can’t replace consistency. That’s what he had shown throughout his career. Critics might say, “Well, that’s KBO though.”

 

It may be KBO, but the level of play there has been rising, arguably close to triple-A. It’s not as easy of a league to play in as many claim it to be. It’s very competitive and has given rise to former Korean major leaguers in the past generation. This is the new wave of players who grew up watching the ones before. And there are a load of potential major leaguers in the KBO.

 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Youtube Channel Image
Go to Analyzing Boxing Subscribe Now!
Subscribe