“We need to further strengthen the shortstop depth.”
On the 3rd (Korean time), MLB.com, the major league website, mentioned Kim Ha-seong (29, San Diego Padres)
citing shortstop as one of the five things the San Francisco Giants need to strengthen in the new year.
Even after converting to second base last year, Ha-seong Kim played outstanding defense and had the honor of becoming the first Asian infielder to win a Gold Glove (National League utility category). 카지노사이트랭크
In addition to second base, Kim Ha-seong is now recognized as one of the best in the major league in terms of defense
so that if there is a hole anywhere in the infield, such as shortstop or third base, Ha-seong Kim is called as the 0th choice to fill the vacancy.
MLB.com said, ‘San Francisco is hoping that Marco Luciano, the team’s second-best prospect, will succeed Brandon Crawford as the starting shortstop in 2024
but they know they need to have a backup plan in case things don’t go as expected. ‘ was pointed out first.
He continued, ‘Although there are very few shortstops in the free agent market, there are several options that are classified as definitive trade candidates.
They include Willy Adames of the Milwaukee Brewers and Ha-seong Kim of San Diego,’ he added.
If San Francisco moves as predicted by MLB.com, Ha-seong Kim could spend time as teammates with Jeong-hoo Lee (26) in the major leagues as well.
Lee Jung-hoo successfully took his first step into the major leagues by signing a large six-year contract worth $113 million (approximately 148.1 billion won) with San Francisco last month.
If you add the posting fee of $18.825 million (approximately 24.6 billion won) that San Francisco paid to Jeong-hoo Lee’s original team, Kiwoom Heroes
the team received treatment equivalent to $130 million.
San Francisco’s defense was so poor last year that it ranked first in the major leagues with 117 team errors
and it is known that the defensive ability of former center fielder Lee Jeong-hoo was taken into consideration when looking to reinforce the outfield.
He was the KBO MVP and had the highest career batting average (0.340) of all time among KBO domestic hitters
but he was given a large sum of money because he was judged to have a definite strength in defense. Defensive anxiety is not limited to the outfield.
If you want to relieve your infield defense anxiety, Kim Ha-seong is a very suitable card.
It was thanks to his defense that Kim Ha-seong did not feel frustrated even when his batting average was only 0.202 (54 hits in 267 at-bats)
in his major league debut season in 2021. San Diego has never had a problem with defense, even though they have excluded Kim Ha-seong from the lineup because of his bat.
Rather, there were more times when he tried to take advantage of the bat’s poor performance due to defense. Despite a sluggish first year
he played 150 games in 2022 and 152 games last year, which is the secret to becoming a starting player.
Of course, Ha-sung Kim was not satisfied with his defensive strengths and improved his batting performance based on the experience he gained while playing in many games
so he has now reached the stage where he can be considered a very valuable trade candidate.
From San Diego’s perspective, Kim Ha-seong is a very attractive player to have on the team or to use as a trade card.
Ha-seong Kim played for three seasons in San Diego and secured a solid fan base. When Ha-Seong Kim stands at bat,
fans naturally shout “Ha-Seong Kim!” Although he surprises with his near-acrobatic defense
he often hits decisive hits in scoring situations and often shows his hustle by running without hesitation, which naturally drew a great response.
Considering the support of fans, it is difficult for San Diego to trade Ha-seong Kim carelessly, but since his value has increased so much
they have no choice but to think about it as a trade card.
Kim Ha-seong’s four-year, $28 million (approximately 36.6 billion won) contract with San Diego ends this year.
He is a free agent after this season, and it is predicted that San Diego will have to invest more than $100 million (about 131.1 billion won) to extend Kim Ha-seong’s contract.
Kim Ha-seong’s current annual salary is $7 million (about 9.1 billion won), so it can be seen that his value has skyrocketed.
The American sports media ‘The Athletic’ reported on the 2nd, ‘If San Diego trades Kim Ha-seong this off-season
they can sell it at a high price, but they will probably have to sell it carefully.
Ha-Sung Kim is entering the final season of his contract ahead of his free agency.
He said, “It appears that a nine-figure contract ($100 million) will be needed to extend or renew the contract with the Gold Glove winner (Kim Ha-seong).”
He continued, ‘Even if Kim Ha-seong is popular with fans, Kim Ha-seong can provide great value to the team in 2024 as well.
However, Manny Machado (elbow surgery) may not be ready to play third base until the end of March.
Ha-Seong Kim has quite a bit of experience in Machado’s position.
He added, “San Diego also needs a solution for the designated hitter, so they may use (Machado) as a stopgap measure for the first few weeks of the season.”
Will Kim Ha-seong continue to accompany Lee Jeong-hoo in San Francisco?
Or will he complete four years in San Diego and hit the free agent market to hit the jackpot? San Francisco will have to show its willingness to play the cards together
but it is curious about the San Diego team’s decision whether to use Kim Ha-seong as a trade card right now.
