Seattle Mariners Reportedly One of Three Suitors For Free Agent Hyeseong Kim
Seattle Mariners fans are still wondering who the starting second and third baseman will be for the team when Opening Day rolls around on March 27, 2025.
And the Mariners might find an option to one of those positions in the form of an international free agent out of the Korean Baseball Organization.
Seattle has been tied to middle infielder Hyeseong Kim for months now, and the deadline is nearing for him to sign with a major league club in his posting window or return to the KBO.
Kim has until 2 p.m. PT on Jan. 3 to agree to terms with an MLB team. A report from earlier this week said that the Mariners were one of five teams to have offered Kim a contract. But a more recent report says that Seattle might have less competition for the three-time KBO Gold Glover's services.
According to a post from an account called KBO Trade Rumors on "X" (formerly known as Twitter), Kim has three offers on the table all worth three years, $15 million or less. One detail that was common in both reports was that the Mariners offered Kim a deal, but it wasn't the deal with the most money.
According to the below report, the offers to Hyeseong Kim, of which there are reportedly 3, are all at 3/$15m or less.
— Jage (@thejagepage) January 1, 2025
The #Mariners have been reported as one of the teams to offer, but also reported as not being the highest bid. https://t.co/AVM7mh4Nly
According to a quote from Kim published on Korean site FNN News, money isn't really a factor for Kim's decision.
"I want to go to a team that wants me a lot," Kim said via a translated quote from the article. "I can't go because I want to go, so it's good if it's a team that wants me. It's better to go to a team that can play the game rather than money."
There wasn't any clarification over who the other two teams were that offered Kim, but Seattle seems like the most ideal destination for him. Of the five teams rumored to be interested in Kim in the earlier report, the San Diego Padres are the only other team that were in the playoff race in 2024.
The Mariners are one of the few spots where Kim would be an everyday player and have a chance to compete in the playoffs. Seattle was also the first team reported to have interested in him.
Kim played eight years in the KBO with the Kiwoom Heroes. Over that time, he has a .304 career batting average with 37 homers, 386 RBIs and 211 steals.
kim hyeseong, finally 🥺 pic.twitter.com/ht8fRFzllm
— dzah (@hesmyloverboi) March 18, 2024
If Kim's decision to sign comes down to the wire, the Mariners will have to wait two days until they find out whether or not he will be their everyday second baseman for 2025. And if Seattle does manage to land the middle infielder, then the club could possibly pivot to other positions of need and turn around an offseason that has been unusually quiet.
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