Padres $36 Million Gold Glover Linked To Royals In Possible Blockbuster Signing
The Kansas City Royals have their superstar. Now, they need to do a better job of supporting him.
Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. was a top-five player in Major League Baseball this season, giving all Royals fans a reason to be stoked about their team's future. But when Witt went cold in the postseason, there was no one on the Kansas City roster who could pick up the slack for even a couple games.
The Royals need someone who can play next to Witt, and they need that player to be versatile. They need to get on base, because that was a huge struggle for Kansas City all season, but they also need to maintain the team's identity of speed and solid defense.
Ha Seong Kim of the San Diego Padres, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, would be a perfect fit when healthy. Max Rieper of Royals Review named Kim as one of the top targets for the Royals to improve their team on-base percentage this upcoming season.
"I’ve long thought the Royals need to invest more in Asian free agents - the style of play there is very much what they would like to emulate in Kauffman Stadium, emphasizing bat-to-ball skills, speed, and defense," Rieper said.
"Kim exemplifies this approach with an 83.8 percent contact rate since coming to the States, one of the top 40 rates in baseball. He has a 10 percent career walk rate that has improved each season in MLB."
Kim will still be only 29 years old on Opening Day, and his versatility makes him more valuable to the Royals than statistics can communicate. He has the capability to play Gold Glove defense at either third base or second base, allowing the Royals to build the perfect platoon lineup on any given day.
Tim Britton of The Athletic recently projected a two-year, $36 million deal for Kim, which should be a cinch for the Royals to pay as they continue to gradually increase payroll. He'd help round out the roster while allowing Kansas City to sacrifice defense elsewhere in favor of a power bat.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org