Cardinals Should Pursue Power-Hitting Korean Phenom This Winter To Bolster Lineup

St. Louis could look outside the league for help next season

Jul 30, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak talks with the media after the Cardinals traded relief pitcher Jordan Hicks (not pictured) starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery (not pictured) and relief pitcher Chris Stratton (not pictured) at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals have a busy winter ahead of them with several important decisions as the club looks to bounce back from a rollercoaster 2024 season.

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak will feel the pressure to retool his offense after the lineup has severely struggled to produce this year.

Mozeliak has a history of going after players who have excelled internationally and perhaps he'll do it again by snagging a Korean rising star who's having a breakout year.

The Kia Tigers third baseman Do-yeong Kim of the Korean Baseball Organization is having the best season of his career at the plate and would be a solid addition to a Cardinals lineup that struggled to score runs in 2024.

Kim is batting .344 with 62 extra-base hits including 31 home runs, 89 RBIs and a 1.056 OPS in 113 games played for Kia this season.

The 20-year-old is putting up astronomical numbers for his age in just his his third season as a Korean professional hitter. Kim has already quadrupled the number of home runs he hit in 2023 (7) and is looking to nearly double his slugging percentage from his rookie season.

The Cardinals currently have two starters, Miles Mikolas and Erick Fedde, who thrived during their stints with international leagues before making their returns to Major League Baseball.

Mikolas pitched for the Yomiuri Giants of the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization before signing with the Cardinals in Dec. 2017, shortly after Mozeliak was hired as POBO in June that same year.

Fedde also played overseas with the KBO's NC Dinos, where he completely revamped his career by adding a sweeper to his arsenal and making a few adjustments to his mechanics.

Adding a slugger as young as Kim, capable of clobbering at least 30 home runs in a season, would be a huge asset to the Cardinals offense next season. Although he wouldn't replace Nolan Arenado at third base, St. Louis shouldn't have a problem finding a spot on the roster for a hitter capable of his slugging power.

More MLB: Cardinals Fan Favorite Claims Team Remains Confident Despite Facing Uphill Battle