Dodgers' $12.5 Million Infielder Discusses Difficult Transition to MLB

Valentina Martinez | Mar 1, 2025

Feb 20, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Hyeseong Kim against the Chicago Cubs during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Hyeseong Kim was candid when he discussed the transition from the Korean Baseball Organization to stateside baseball.

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“There’s nothing easy about playing baseball in a new environment alone,” Kim said. “Baseball is already a hard sport to play. But at the end of the day, being able to make my adjustments and the feeling of accomplishment I get from that will be greater than anything.”

The Dodgers played the Korean national team in Seoul at the Gocheok Sky Dome before the start of the 2024 season and it was during this exhibition matchup where the Dodgers witnessed Kim's defensive prowess.

Manager Dave Roberts heaped high praise for Kim after watching him in Korea.

“Our scouts like the second baseman: just the way his body moves. There’s some life to the bat and defensively, he made a nice play out there,” Roberts said at the time.

Nine months later, the Dodgers were the first team to contact Kim in free agency after he was posted.

“I was so grateful for that,” Kim said.

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The Dodgers signed Kim to a $12.5 million deal, and his elite defensive skills have already impressed a number of people within the organization.

“We’re really excited to add him into the mix. We’re talking about a double-plus runner, a really good defender in multiple spots, and some real upside with the bat,” general manager Brandon Gomes said in January.

“Our scouts had flagged that he was potentially going to be posted this year. I think there was that dynamic athlete and explosiveness that he showed in that game against us that really stood out. When you’re able to add somebody with that type of athleticism and that tool package its something that we’re really excited about.”

The transition from KBO to MLB hasn't been without its struggles for Kim. The versatile infielder is battling for a roster spot this spring. The Dodgers' biggest concern with Kim is his bat, especially since the rookie is still adjusting to major league pitching.

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