Inside The Mariners

Seattle Mariners Miss Out on Hye-seong Kim; Signs With Los Angeles Dodgers

The Korean middle infielder agreed to a three-year contract with the potential for five years with the defending World Series champions.

Teren Kowatsch

South Korea infielder Hyeseong Kim hits a single against USA during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on Aug. 5, 2021, at Yokohama Stadium.
South Korea infielder Hyeseong Kim hits a single against USA during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on Aug. 5, 2021, at Yokohama Stadium. / Yukihito Taguchi-Imagn Images
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The Seattle Mariners are going to have to wait a little longer to make their first "big" move of the offseason.

The Mariners were reportedly one of five teams with a contract offer on the table for Korean middle infielder and international free agent Hye-seong Kim on the final day of his posting window on Jan. 3.

Roughly three hours before the deadline for Kim to come to an agreement with a team on a deal, news broke that he had signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for three years with an option for an additional two years. The three-year base of the deal is worth $12.5 million and could be worth up to $22 million if the two-year option is picked up.

Korean media outlets first reported the news, which was later confirmed by Francys Romero, who broke Randy Arozarena being traded to Seattle at the trade deadline.

Based on reports from earlier in the week about the teams interested in Kim leading up to his deadline, it appears the Dodgers swept in the final day or two to offer a Kim a contract. There wasn't any concrete information about what the exact amounts offered to Kim by other teams. But a post from KBO In English on "X" (@KBO_ENG) said that the Mariners, San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs were other teams with offers on the table and that the Los Angeles Angels offered up to $28 million for Kim.

Kim played eight years in the Korean Baseball Organization and put up a career .304 batting average with 37 home runs, 386 RBIs and 211 steals. He's a three-time KBO Gold Glove winner and is the only player in the league's history to win the award at shortstop and second base.

Per a report from the Athletic's Los Angeles beat writer Fabian Ardaya, the plan is to use Kim in a "super utility" role with Mookie Betts at shortstop and Gavin Lux at second base.

As for Seattle, Kim is the second free agent that the team has been confirmed to make a contract offer to. Him and the other player, Carlos Santana, both have signed elsewhere.

By missing out on Kim, the Mariners options at second base remain: Ryan Bliss, Leo Rivas, Dylan Moore and potentially top five prospect Cole Young.

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Teren Kowatsch
TEREN KOWATSCH

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