The San Diego Padres lost Korean shortstop Ha-Seong Kim to free agency at the beginning of the offseason. While there is still a chance he returns to California, the versatile infielder is reportedly generating lots of interest around the league and it’s not a given that he comes back.
On Tuesday, it was revealed that fellow Korean infielder Hyeseong Kim (no relation to Ha-Seong) will likely be officially posted on Wednesday, opening his 30-day window to sign for any MLB team.
Could the Padres replace Ha-Seong Kim with the newcomer from the KBO?
So far, there haven’t been many reports linking the two parties, but his market, and negotiations, are just about to start.
Besides the obviously fun name comparison, the two Kims are actually similar players. Ha-Seong gets the edge in power, though, but Hyeseong is a very useful player in his own right and is expected to be cheaper.
Unlike Roki Sasaki, Kim falls under the ‘professional’ category and will be able to sign the largest deal he can find because he is at least 25 (26, actually) and has a minimum of six years of experience in a foreign circuit.
Here is MLB Trade Rumors’ comparison of the two, as the Padres scan the middle infield market:
“Offensively, Hyeseong is a tick below Ha-Seong, however. Hyeseong has slashed .304/.364/.403 in his eight KBO seasons whereas Ha-Seong hit .294/.373/.493 in his seven campaigns in Korea. The batting average and on-base numbers are fairly close but Ha-Seong clearly has the edge in terms of slugging. Hyeseong got to 11 home runs in 2024, a career-high for him, whereas Ha-Seong had 19 or more homers in his final six KBO seasons, including 30 in the final year.”
The Padres would be smart to at least consider Kim
The Seattle Mariners have been, so far, the most popular pick among experts and fans for Hyeseong’s destination. The Padres, however, would be wise to scout him and at least consider him.
Ha-Seong averaged close to 3.5 fWAR per year with the Padres over the last three seasons, and if Hyeseong checks in at anywhere near that value, he would be a success for the team that signs him. The transition between the KBO and MLB is a difficult one, though, so expecting some struggles as he adjusts to the majors in his first season would be recommended.
It will always depend on the price, but the Padres could certainly have Hyeseong Kim among their potential free-agent alternatives this offseason.
