TL;DR - Scouting Report
KBO star Hyeseong Kim is reportedly signing with the Dodgers in a deal that could bring his elite skills to Los Angeles for years to come.
Start the Rally: Tweet This Now!Another Asian import is reportedly headed to the Dodgers, according to several reports with ties to sources in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).
Infielder Hyeseong Kim has reportedly signed a three-year deal, with an option for two additional years. Naver, a South Korean media outlet reported the news via Jeon San Gil on X.
His tweet translates to:
“As you all know, CAA Sports, Hyeseong Kim’s agent, is the same agent that Shohei Ohtani is affiliated with. It is also known that Ohtani met with Kim in person and gave him various advice. I think this may have had a little bit of an influence (on his decision). In fact, it was on the evening of January 3 that I finally heard that I had entered Django. I went into standy from the afternoon of January 4 while preparing to write an article. I didn’t hear any news about the contract, so I wondered if he would not go. Still, Hyeseong Kim made a decision, and will end up wearing the Dodgers’ Blue uniform. I woke up early, but I’m happy. I think I’ll be watching more Dodgers games this year.
Kim, 25, will reportedly receive a guaranteed $12.5 million over three seasons, but has options for two additional seasons that could boost the contract to $22 million.
He has previously played second base, shortstop and left fieldin the past, and is a three-time KBO Golden Glove Award winner and 2021 KBO Stolen Base leader. He’s the only infielder in KBO history to win a Golden Glove at both second base and shortstop.
Last season, Kim hit .326/.383/.458 with 11 HRs, 75 RBIs and 30 steals for the Kiwoom Heroes.
He was posted on December 4 to come to Major League Baseball as a free agent. Next in line for the Dodgers could be Roki Sasaki.
The Dodgers have also been linked to former Padres infielder Ha-seong Kim, no relation. Ha-seong hit .306/.397/.524 with 30 HRs, 109 RBIs and 23 steals, for comparison. In four seasons with the Padres, Ha-seong has hit .242/.326/.380 with 47 HRs, 200 RBIs and 78 steals.
It is reported that the Padres were also in pursuit of Hyeseong Kim.
Your Turn: Where do you think Hyeseong Kim will fit in for the Dodgers in 2025 and beyond? Tell us below in the comments!
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