Dodgers, Hyeseong Kim agree on contract before posting window ends

Dodgers win.

Again.

Hyeseong Kim, one of the most talented youngsters in the KBO, is heading to Los Angeles on a three-year deal, The Post’s Jon Heyman reported.

Hyeseong Kim, 25, averaged. 326, smacked 11 home runs and stole 30 bases in 2024. Getty Images

The 25-year-old infielder’s contract reportedly includes a guaranteed $12.5 million as well as an option for the 2028-29 season that would increase the total value of the deal to $22 million.

In Kim, a career .304 hitter with a bevy of defensive accolades, the Dodgers are acquiring an uber-talented youngster on the rise.

Kim has eight years of professional experience with the KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes and has steadily grown as a hitter across every one of them.

During his first full year in the KBO, the left-handed hitter slashed .270/.328/.367.

Two years later, when Kim was 21 years old, those numbers climbed to .285/.345/.399.

In 2023, Kim posted the best season of his career, slashing .335/.396/.446.

Hyeseong Kim began playing professional baseball with the KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes when he was 18 years old. Getty Images

He’s a problem on the bases, too, accumulating at least 20 stolen bases during each of the last seven seasons.

On the defensive side of the ball, Kim has won the KBO’s Golden Glove on four occasions.

He first picked up the honors at the shortstop position in 2021, then at second base in 2022, ’23 and ’24.

South Korea’s Hyeseong Kim throws to first after forcing out Japan’s Yuki Yanagita during a semi-final baseball game at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Yokohama, Japan. AP

Kim’s agreement with the Dodgers came just hours before his posting window was set to expire Friday afternoon at 5 p.m. ET.

The Heroes had opened Kim’s 30-day window in December following the culmination of his 2024 season — during which the star infielder batted to a .326 average with 11 home runs and 30 steals.

The Dodgers will pay a transfer fee to the Heroes when the deal becomes official.

That price is dependent on the guaranteed portion of his contract, MLB.com reported.

In Los Angeles, where left-handed middle infielders in Mookie Betts and Gavin Lux have already staked their claims, it’s not yet clear where Kim fits in. 

He’ll turn 26 later this month.

Source link

Leave a Comment