Korean Infielder Hye-Seong Kim Expected to be Posted to MLB Free Agency Next Week

Hye-Seong Kim, who has been gearing up for the leap to MLB since last winter, could be targeted by the Seattle Mariners or any other club looking for an upgrade at second base.

Aug 5, 2021; Yokohama, Japan; Team South Korea infielder Hyeseong Kim (3) hits a single in the third inning against USA in a baseball semifinal match during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Yokohama Baseball Stadium. / Yukihito Taguchi-Imagn Images

Korean infielder Hye-Seong Kim is expected to be posted to MLB free agency early next week, the Yonhap News Agency's Jeeho Yoo reported Tuesday.

Kim spent the past eight seasons with the Kiwoom Heroes in the Korean Baseball Organization. The Heroes have had a long runway leading up to Kim's exit, though, considering they agreed to post him all the way back in January.

The 25-year-old second baseman told Yoo that he will be traveling to the United States after Thanksgiving, kickstarting his time in free agency. Kim will have a 45-day window to negotiate with MLB teams once his posting becomes official.

Soon-to-be-posted #KBO 2B Hyeseong Kim says the process will begin after U.S. Thanksgiving. He will also travel to the U.S. at that point... So expect some sort of posting-related announcement from his team, Kiwoom Heroes, early next week.

— Jeeho Yoo (@Jeeho_1) November 26, 2024

Earlier this month, the Seattle Mariners emerged as a team that was evaluating Kim, and they surely weren't the only ones.

In 127 games this season, Kim hit .326 with 11 home runs, 75 RBI, 30 stolen bases, an .841 OPS in 127 games this season. He is a .304 career hitter with 211 stolen bases on 248 attempts.

Kim was a member of Team South Korea at the COVID-delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He got 13 at-bats and finished the tournament with eight singles, one stolen base, one RBI and one strikeout.

At the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Kim went 1-for-2 with three walks, three runs, three RBI and one strikeout.

Beyond his abilities as a contact-hitter and baserunner, Kim has made a name for himself as an elite defensive player.

Kim previously played shortstop back when Ha-Seong Kim manned second base for the Heroes. He won a Gold Glove across from the eventual San Diego Padres star, then won two more when he slid over to second himself.

Ha-Seong Kim is also a free agent, standing apart as one of the top middle infielders available this winter. The older Kim is still recovering from shoulder surgery, however, which could limit his market.

As for Hye-Seong Kim, MLB Trade Rumors predicted that he would earn a three-year, $24 million contract. A deal of that size would result in an additional $4.8 million posting fee that would go back to the Heroes.

The San Francisco Giants handed out the largest contract ever for a Korean free agent when they signed Jung Hoo Lee to a six-year, $113 million deal last offseason. Ha-Seong Kim signed a four-year, $28 million contract with the Padres when he left the Heroes back in 2021.

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