9:41: Sherman now tweets that the Fathers are seen as Kim’s favorites. The deal has not yet been completed, but the two sides discussed an annual value of $ 7 to 8 million in less than six years. If the deal closes, Kim will enter second base, with Cronenworth probably entering the outfield.
9:18: Kim is on a flight to the United States this morning, according to Jee-ho Yoo of the South Korean news agency Yonhap. While Daniel Kim of DKTV and ESPN tweets that Kim is going to the United States to do a physical exam, it doesn’t mean he has chosen a team yet. Kim needs to be present to complete a physical exam before the posting window closes, so it makes sense that he is going to North America right now.
Meanwhile, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that Blue Jays and Fathers are considered Kim’s favorites, with the Red Sox still appearing as a possible, but less likely destination. The Mets and Reds were “intrigued” by Kim, Sherman add, but are not seen as favorites to hire you.
8:55 am: Less than 12 hours have passed since the Fathers agreed to acquire the blockbuster from Blake Snell in an exchange with the Rays, but it seems that this is not the only major change in the list that general manager AJ Preller hopes to complete before the New Year. ESPN Buster Olney tweets that San Diego is “having a serious career” in the free field player Ha-Seong Kim, which was posted to Major League clubs by the Kiwoom Heroes of the Korean Baseball Organization.
Unlike most of the stars that are posted for MLB teams to bid on, Kim is in the middle of his early years. The 25-year-old has contributed constantly to Heroes throughout his career, but has seen his offensive production explode over the past two seasons, even as KBO has altered the composition of his ball in an effort to reduce extremely user-friendly trends. hitter. Since 2019, Kim has had hits of 0.307 / 0.393 / 0.500, with 49 home runs, 62 doubles, three trebles and 56 of 62 in attempts at stolen bases.
The Fathers, of course, do not have an urgent need for a field player thanks to the presence of Manny Machado on the third base, Fernando Tatis Jr. on the shortstop and emerging Jake Cronenworth on second base. Kim, however, has both shortstop and third base experience, and he is seen as a perfectly viable second base option as well. He could give the Fathers – or another club – a versatile overuse piece that allows them to rest their regular indoor players one day a week or take on a bigger role in the event of an injury. It is also important to note that Cronenworth, despite his excellent debut in 2020, still has only 194 major league appearances on his resume.
There is no clear favorite for Kim right now, although his market is coming to an end. Your 30-day posting period started on December 2nd and must be completed by January 1st at 5 pm ET. The Blue Jays have made an offer for at least five years and reports from South Korea have indicated that he has several five-year offers on hand. It is unclear whether the Fathers made a five-year proposal, but the conversation around Kim’s numbers is expected to pick up in the coming days as the bidding for his services comes to an end.