Minor League Baseball

Tampa Bay Rays Top Prospect Could Suffer Big Impact as Result of Ha-seong Kim Signing

The Tampa Bay Rays signed infielder Ha-Seong Kim last week, which could change the outlook for Carson Williams moving forward.

Brady Farkas

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Carson Williams (80) talks with manager Kevin Cash (16) before the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium in 2024.
Tampa Bay Rays infielder Carson Williams (80) talks with manager Kevin Cash (16) before the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium in 2024. / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
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Last week, the Tampa Bay Rays agreed to a two-year deal worth $29 million with Gold Glove infielder Ha-seong Kim.

Now, Kim is recovering from shoulder surgery and isn't expected to be ready until May, but when he gets on the field, he could have a big impact on top prospect Carson Williams.

Williams, a shortstop, is well-regarded as one of the best defensive prospects in the minor leagues. He's ready to come up soon, but he may need to move positions temporarily if Kim is going to man shortstop. Or, Kim's presence could keep him down in the minors.

Per Baseball America on Williams and his defensive prowess.

The Rays often emphasize versatility in their prospects, asking them to bounce around the field, but Williams notably has never played a game at a position other than shortstop. That could change in 2025 as he heads to Triple-A Durham, but any other position he plays will only be to make him viable as a short-term fill-in. Shortstop is his long-term home. His defense is big-league ready right now, but his bat may need 500 plate appearances at Triple-A to add some final polish. Williams should be the Rays’ everyday shortstop for years to come.

It should be noted that Williams is not on the 40-man roster at this time. Junior Caminero, Jonathan Aranda, Oslevis Basabe, Jose Caballero, Yandy Diaz, Brandon Lowe, Curtis Mead, Christopher Morel, Richie Palacios and Taylor Walls are infielders on the 40-man roster.

The Rays do have a lot of options given the versatility of that group. Lowe figures to play second with Diaz at first. Caminero seems slated for third base while Morel and Caballero can work in the outfield. Walls would figure to start at short - at least early on this season, though Caballero can play there too.

Kim would figure to have the lead on shortstop when he gets healthy, which could keep Williams down in the minors.

Williams is the No. 1 prospect in the organization, per Baseball America. He was a first-round pick of the Rays in 2021.

The Rays went 80-82 last season and report to spring training in less than two weeks.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is the senior writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and the host of “The Payoff Pitch’’ podcast, which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. Follow Brady on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady.

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