Detroit Tigers Predicted to Sign Underrated Free-Agent Ha-Seong Kim
The Detroit Tigers have been relatively quiet so far this offseason after an amazing year in 2024.
After the fantastic campaign last season, the Tigers came into the offseason with a couple of needs to improve their team. So far, they have been fairly quiet in terms of free agency and the trade market.
While this was a team that had a lot of success in 2024, they certainly have some flaws. As seen down the stretch and in the postseason, Detroit’s offense could sometimes be a bit lackluster.
With needs at both first base and third base, upgrading one of those positions this offseason would be ideal. However, the first base market quickly dried up with trades and signings coming fast and furious over the weekend. However, there are still some talented players available.
Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report recently predicted that Ha-Seong Kim would sign with the Tigers on a four-year, $60 million deal. Furthermore, he highlighted that this could be a bargain for the talented shortstop compared to the $181 million deal that Willy Adames just received from the San Francisco Giants.
“Good shortstop defense is nonetheless a valuable commodity, and it's but one service that Kim provides in the field. He's also a capable defender at third base and second base. Kim is also an elite bat-to-ball hitter who had a whiff rate in the 92nd percentile in 2024 and, unlike Adames, a consistently above-average baserunner. He thus has all the goods to be a key regular, and at a fraction of what it cost the Giants to sign Adames.”
Kim is a very intriguing free-agent option this winter. Due to a shoulder injury at the end of last season, his market and value might not be as high as it should be. In 2023, he was able to win a gold glove and have a 5.8 WAR.
While the 29-year-old might not be the middle of the order hitter that Detroit desires, he can play multiple positions and at a very high defensive level. Even though the Tigers have Javier Baez and Trey Sweeney at shortstop, that position figures to be one that they would potentially like to upgrade as well this offseason.
Even though there are certainly some concerns about his hitting ability after the shoulder injury, Kim could be a solid option for the Tigers in free agency. With the flexibility to play multiple positions at a high level, he could be a valuable weapon for A.J. Hinch depending on how the infield shapes up.
