'Even if traded, after the opening series in Seoul, up to 7 years and 150 million dollars (1981 billion won) if re-signed'
Major League Baseball's (MLB) National League (NL) Gold Glove winner Ha-Sung Kim (29, San Diego Padres) continues to be at the center of trade speculation. But one thing is clear: his skyrocketing value is not going to be left out of trade discussions.
The Athletic's San Diego reporter, Dennis Lin, anticipated this when he published a question-and-answer style article about San Diego on Nov. 11.
The first thing that came up was the possibility of trading Kim and the estimated amount of money needed to re-sign him. To the question, "Is trading Ha-Sung Kim the best chance to fill all the remaining holes on the roster?" I answered, "I think so. He's nine months away from free agency and the Padres are unlikely to spare the money needed to keep him," I said. 카지노사이트가이드
Lin disagreed. "If prospect Jackson Merrill is ready, he could be a cheap replacement for Ha-Sung Kim somewhere in the infield. And after trading pending free agents Juan Soto and Scott Barlow for multiple controllable assets, San Diego is logically obligated to explore a similar move for Ha-Sung Kim." "The combination of Kim's Gold Glove defense and affordable 2024 salary should draw interest from more teams than just a few," Lin said.
San Diego also sees a lot of value in Kim. "Unsurprisingly, the Padres were the highest bidder in conversations with other clubs," says Lin. As one club official said shortly before the Winter Meetings, the potential compensation for Kim would have to be 'well above a certain level,'" and as for the timing of a trade, "A trade before Kim's scheduled March 20 homecoming at Seoul's Gocheok Sky Dome is possible but not likely."
MLB is already heavily promoting next year's opening series between San Diego and the Los Angeles Dodgers in Seoul. With San Diego represented by Kim Ha-seong and Ko Woo-seok, and the Dodgers boasting a slew of star players including Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, interest in the matchup is very high in Korea. It is interpreted that the team will not throw cold water on this guaranteed box office card by trading Kim Ha-seong.
Nevertheless, it still suggests the possibility of a trade."Despite the very slow pace of this offseason, San Diego wants to be competitive in 2024, and Ha-Sung Kim could be a great value at $8 million," Lin said. "It also helps that three of their most productive players last season (Soto, Blake Snell, and Josh Hader) were close to free agency."
While general manager A.J. Preller is being reasonable, it will be difficult to keep Kim and find two starting outfielders and at least one starting pitcher on a budget. "For now, San Diego can afford to keep the asking price high for Kim," Lin said. "Perhaps an injury in spring training will increase the need for a center fielder."
There was also the question of how much would be appropriate if the A's were to retain Kim. Lin pointed to shortstop Dansby Swanson, who signed a seven-year, $177 million deal with the Chicago Cubs. He later won his first career Gold Glove. Trevor Story, who primarily plays second base, signed a six-year, $140 million deal with the Boston Red Sox when he was 29. "While they both performed much better than Kim and both have higher offensive potential, their recent free agent signings should serve as a cautionary tale for Kim and his agent," said Lin. Kim has been a Gold Glove candidate at shortstop or second base the past two seasons, posting an 8.1 fWAR (wins above replacement per FanGraphs.com), and he turns 29 in October. He's been on the field most of the time, and contrary to the story, his throwing arm hasn't been a problem."
In 152 games this season, Kim batted .260 with 17 home runs, 60 RBI, 84 runs scored, 38 stolen bases, a .351 on-base percentage, a .398 slugging percentage, and a .749 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage). Defensively, he covered second, third, and shortstop and won the NL Gold Glove for utility. He received votes in the Most Valuable Player (MVP) voting and was a Silver Slugger nominee.
Kim signed a 4+1 year contract with San Diego when he reached the big leagues. He will earn $8 million this season, his fourth year, with a mutually agreeable option for an additional year. There's no reason for Kim to stay for another year at $8 million after his big league debut. If San Diego wants to keep him, they'll have to offer him a much larger multi-year deal.
Lee Jung-hoo's (San Francisco Giants) name also came up. "San Francisco signed Kim's close friend, Lee Jung-hoo, to a six-year, $113 million deal," Lin said. "Lee is three years younger than Kim, but has never played in the MLB and is expected to be less valuable on defense and at the plate. If he struggles on offense in 2024, his stock will drop, but his versatility in the infield and other ways he can contribute will keep his stock relatively high."