Cody Snavely
With the Los Angeles Dodgers’ effort to re-sign fan favorite right-handed hitting outfielder Teoscar Hernández reportedly at an “impasse,” Andrew Friedman and Co. have turned their attention to other alternatives, according to Major League Baseball insider Ken Rosenthal, who mentioned former San Diego Padres all-star Ha-Seong Kim.
Kim, 29, is currently a free agent after spending the previous four seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers National League West rival, the San Diego Padres.
Prior to joining the Friars on a 4-year, $28 million deal, Kim spent the previous seven seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and, during the 2020 offseason, was offically posted by the Kiwoom Heroes.
In his four-year MLB career, Kim has posted a line of .242/.326/.380 with forty-seven home runs, seventy-eight stolen bases, and 15.3 WAR in 540 games. While the offensive numbers might not look all that great, they are not where Kim brings the most value.
Kim is a plus defender and can play multiple infield positions, which is why, despite his low offensive output, a plethora of teams have shown interest in him this winter.
In three of his four seasons, he has ranked in the top ten in defensive WAR and has ranked in the top five in fielding percentage and range factor at those three positions. Due to these efforts, Kim finally won the 2023 Rawlings Gold Glove Award under the utility position.
While a report mentions Kim as an alternative to the Dodgers’ pursuit of Teoscar Hernández, this is not a quote-on-quote replacement.
Depending on who you ask, the Dodgers’ current infield construction is a problem that Kim could offer a solution to.
For the second straight season, the Dodgers are going to roll with eight-time all-star Mookie Betts at shortstop. Betts filled in at the position for the first half of the 2024 season after Gavin Lux‘s terrible defensive showcase in spring training.
Max Muncy, 34, has made huge strides in his defensive metrics the last two seasons but missed considerable time last year with an oblique injury.
Gavin Lux, the 2019 Baseball America Player of the Year Award winner, has failed to live up to the hype and, in his last few seasons in the show, has produced inconsistent results. Perhaps the organization’s patience with him has run its course with the left-handed batter being shopped around in trade negotiations.
The soundest position the Dodgers have going for them is first base, as for the next three seasons by the 2024 World Series Most Valuable Player, Freddie Freeman.
One red flag for Kim is that he is coming off of labrum surgery in his shoulder. While he is expected to be ready for the start of the season, Kim could miss spring training as he works his way back.
However, once the Korean righty is activated, he could be a valuable asset for the Dodgers, giving them much-needed infield flexibility, especially with three-quarters of their infield in their thirties.
MLB Trade Rumors has Kim projected for a 1-year, $12 million contract this winter as the utility infielder looks to reestablish his market after offseason shoulder surgery.
The Dodgers could theoretically sign both Kim and Teoscar Hernández, which would give them the much-needed right-handed lineup balance and defensive versatility.
Kim could take over the Kiké Hernández/Chris Taylor versatile position player role while giving the Dodgers more consistent offensive production showcases by his 101 wRC+ last season compared to the combined 78.5 wRC+ of Taylor and Hernández.
But it is important to keep in mind that the Dodgers are set to reach their fourth year in a row over the Competitive Balance Tax threshold ($241 million for 2025). Along with a projected payroll to exceed it by tens of millions of dollars, they will receive multiple surcharges of 110% on any free agent deal, meaning that the aforementioned 1-year, $12 million deal for Kim would translate to a 1-year, $25.2 million hit on their tax payroll.
While the Teoscar Hernández saga will undoubtedly continue into the New Year, the Dodgers have shown they will not wait for any player and will continue to do their due diligence while building a World Series-competitive roster for the 2025 season. Let’s just hope we get some more news in the coming days/weeks.
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