Inside The Cubs

Chicago Cubs Make Surprise Offer to Korean Star Ahead of Posting Deadline

The Chicago Cubs have made an offer to Korean baseball star Hye-Seong Kim ahead of his posting deadline on Friday.

Kade Kistner

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. Mandatory Credit: Mandi Wright-Imagn Images
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. Mandatory Credit: Mandi Wright-Imagn Images / Mandi Wright-Imagn Images
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The Chicago Cubs are among five teams to extend an offer to Korena and KBO star Hyeseong Kim ahead of his posting deadline that ends on Friday according to a new report from KBO in English.

Kim is an infielder with skills that translate well to a utility-man-type player in the MLB but many scouts question his ability to be an everyday player or starter in the Majors. Still, he could provide great depth as a bench player for almost any contending team.

Among the teams who have offered Kim a contract includes the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners and yes, the Cubs.

If you take a quick glance, Chicago is the only non-west coast team to extend Kim an offer. All four of the other teams have long made it a priority to pursue the up and coming Asian players being produced from Japan and Korea.

It was not expected for Chicago to extend an offer to the 25-year-old left-hander, but the same report suggesting the Cubs did extend an offer also says that offers are coming in around $10 million. That is much lower than expected but appears right in line for a premium bench player.

At that rate, it is a surprise that more MLB teams were not in on the Kim sweepstakes and likely explains why Chicago felt the desire to hop in the pool despite there being no reports of interest on the Cubs' end.

As one can imagine, the Dodgers lead the way as favorites and one would have to assume the Padres are not far behind. While Kim makes sense as a fit for Chicago, it is hard envisioning him passing up the chance to play for a powerhouse like Los Angeles or leave the West Coast to play in the Midwest when flights to Asia and time zones are much easier to navigate on the Pacific coast.

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Kade Kistner
KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Cubs. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl. During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated. Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.

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