Korean Infielder Hyeseong Kim Officially Hits MLB Free Agency as Posting Window Opens

Hyeseong Kim now has 45 days to reach a deal with an MLB team, with the Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels and Chicago White Sox possibly in the market for a middle infielder.

Aug 2, 2021; Yokohama, Japan; Team South Korea infielder Hyeseong Kim (3) celebrates with the dugout after scoring a run against Israel during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Yokohama Baseball Stadium. / Mandi Wright-Imagn Images

Nearly 11 months after his club gave him the green light, Korean infielder Hyeseong Kim is finally MLB-bound.

Kim was officially posted to MLB free agency on Wednesday, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. He has a 45-day window to negotiate with teams, which is set to expire at 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 3.

If Kim can't sign a deal before then, he will return to the KBO for 2025. He would then be able to skirt past the posting system in 2026, should he choose to take another crack at free agency.

Kim spent the past eight seasons with the Kiwoom Heroes.

The soon-to-be 26-year-old traveled to the United States after Thanksgiving to gear up for his time in free agency. The Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels and Chicago White Sox are among the teams that have been tied to Kim thus far, although the list of suitors could come into sharper focus given the time frame he is working with.

Hyeseong Kim has officially been posted. Starting tomorrow, any team willing to pay to the Kiwoom Heroes the corresponding release fee and any applicable supplemental fees may negotiate with Kim. The deadline to sign Kim is 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 3, 2025.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) December 4, 2024

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.

MLB Trade Rumors predicted that Kim would earn a three-year, $24 million contract on the open market. A deal of that size would result in an additional $4.8 million posting fee going back to the Heroes.

The largest MLB contract ever signed by a Korean free agent belongs to outfielder Jung Hoo Lee, who inked a six-year, $113 million deal with the San Francisco Giants last winter.

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