Seattle Mariners Reportedly Have Interest in Korean Second Baseman in Free Agency
Ever since trading Robinson Cano after the 2018 season, second base has been a black hole for the Seattle Mariners. The M's have utilized a different Opening Day second baseman in every year since Cano's departure, failing to find a long-term solution.
Shed Long Jr., Dylan Moore, Jose Caballero, Adam Frazier, Kolten Wong and Jorge Polanco have all tried and failed to hold down the position for Seattle and the M's will look once again to fill the void this offseason.
According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, they may be looking to the international ranks for an answer this time around.
The Mariners, known to be in the 2B market, are among the teams that have closely evaluated infielder Hye-seong Kim, whom the Kiwoom Heroes will post this offseason.
Kim, a left-handed batter, had an .841 OPS and 30 SB at age 25 in KBO this season.
@MLBNetwork @SeattleSports
The Mariners, known to be in the 2B market, are among the teams that have closely evaluated infielder Hye-seong Kim, whom the Kiwoom Heroes will post this offseason.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 6, 2024
Kim, a left-handed batter, had an .841 OPS and 30 SB at age 25 in KBO this season.@MLBNetwork @SeattleSports
Recently, MLBTradeRumors posted a little profile on Kim:
At least one intriguing option stands out on the market: Kiwoom Heroes infielder Hyesong Kim (no relation to the Padres infielder). The KBO star hired CAA to represent him this past June and is expected to be posted for big league clubs. He’s not a high-impact power hitter but is a career .304/.364/.403 hitter in South Korea and is coming off a .331/.390/.452 showing across the past two seasons. Kim is lauded for his defensive acumen at second base, plus speed (55-for-64 in stolen base attempts since 2023) and superlative bat-to-ball skills (11.7% strikeout rate). The lefty-hitting Kim could land an eight-figure guarantee over multiple years this offseason, particularly since he won’t turn 26 until January.
The age is right and the speed is right, as Kim could help the M's force the issue on the bases even more in 2025. Furthermore, the low strikeout rate is something that would be appealing to a clubhouse that led baseball in strikeouts for a large portion of the year. If Kim is able to be a suitable leadoff man, he could force Julio Rodriguez into a No. 2 or No. 3 spot in the order, giving him more opportunties to bring in runs.
MLBTradeRumors also recently predicted that Kim would get a three-year and $24 million deal. He was listed as their No. 26 free agent this offseason.
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