Ha-Seong Kim Brings Versatility, Big Bat To San Diego
Ha-Seong Kim played exclusively on the left side of the infield in Korea, winning two Gold Gloves as a shortstop.
Of course, the 25-year-old is a better fit at second base in San Diego, but he’s got competition there from Jake Cronenworth, the 2020 National League Rookie of the Year runner-up. The Padres have also reunited with Jurickson Profar, further complicating the path to the steady job that Kim likely would have found in other locales.
But that simply didn’t matter as much as winning, and Kim’s new employer is in a position to win after adding Yu Darvish, Blake Snell and Joe Musgrove to its rotation this offseason.
The 5-foot-9, 168-pound Kim signed a four-year deal after hitting a career-high 30 home runs with 23 stolen bases and a .306/.397/.523 batting line in 2020 for Kiwoom in Korea.
The Padres committed $33 million to sign Kim, including the $5.525 million release fee paid to his old club.
The DH returning to the NL would certainly help, but the Padres consider their deal with Kim a long-term investment, whether he spends the majority of his time at second base or bounces around the infield and outfield.
Physically, Kim has enough arm strength and athleticism to give Fernando Tatis Jr. a breather at shortstop. The Padres also believe Kim has more than enough bat speed to catch up to big league velocity, often a hurdle for many Korean position players attempting to stick in the United States.
It helps, too, that the Padres have scouted Kim since he was an amateur in Korea, watching his plate discipline evolve to the point where he walked more times than he struck out for the first time in 2020.
“Good players have a way of making adjustments,” Padres general manager A.J. Preller said of Kim, the first Korean-born position player in Padres history. “. . . We’ve seen him dating back to the 18-under world championship team . . .
“The more he sees, the better he’s going to get.”
FATHER FIGURES
— Among the Padres in action this winter, outfielder Grant Little—a second-rounder in 2018—was hitting .247/.295/.425 with two homers and eight RBIs through 21 games in the Austrian Baseball League. Grant has hit .258/.343/.315 through his first two years in the low minors.
— Righthander Steven Wilson, a 2018 eighth-rounder, saved five games and struck out 15 batters against two walks in 14.1 innings (1.88 ERA) in Escogido’s bullpen in the Dominican League. He received a non-roster invite to big league camp a year ago and would be in line for a big league callup if he repeats his 2019 success (2.67 ERA in 64 innings).
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