What does Ha-Seong Kim's market look like?

The South Korean shortstop is one of the best free agents left available, but where is he going?

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MLB free agency has slowed down drastically since the end of November, with teams hardly making any headlines. That has not stopped the rumor mill from flying, as plenty of teams have been linked to various players throughout the dead period. One name that has not made any significant waves has been Ha-Seong Kim. The 29-year-old South Korean shortstop has spent his last 4 seasons with the San Diego Padres as either a shortstop or second baseman, and before that, he spent the previous 7 seasons with the Nexen / Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO. His free agency comes as no surprise, considering he is a Scott Boras client, who we all know tends to wait things out for the biggest payday. But where is the best fit for Kim? What should he expect in a contract? What teams need a player with his particular skillset? Looking at his statistics, there is obviously a good player here who could benefit many teams around the league.

The Numbers On The Surface:

There is no doubt Kim had a down year in 2024. His slash line was a measly .233/.330/.370 for an OPS+ of 96. He hit 11 home runs, 16 doubles, and three triples in 121 games while accumulating 2.6 WAR. Defensively, he had 4 Outs Above Average with excellent range at SS (albeit down from the 9 OAA he put up as a second baseman in 2023). Regarding his baserunning, he had 22 bases in 27 attempts in 2024 (down from 38 in 2023) and provided positive value on the bases. Again, most of his numbers went down year over year, but a lingering shoulder injury that eventually required surgery could be the cause of his decline last season. Under the hood, there are some things to be excited about and concerned about….

The Good:

There were some good parts of Kim’s game in 2024, as he was in the 98th percentile in Chase%, 92nd percentile in WHIFF%, 81st percentile in K%, and 96th percentile in BB%. He made excellent swing decisions, and when he did swing, he made contact. This is the type of player he’s always been, as he’s never been afraid to take his walks and be selective at the plate. In fact, all of the metrics listed above increased from 2023-2024, which indicates he is seeing the ball better than ever. His expected numbers prove he was a tad unlucky in 2024, with his batting average suffering some big differences:

.248 BA- .261 XBA for fastballs

.220 BA- .226 XBA for breaking balls

182 BA- .204 XBA for off-speed

While his fielding value went slightly down from his Gold Glove winning season in 2023 that could be attributed to the shoulder injury, plus a move from second base back to shortstop full time. Even with these factors he was a plus-plus defender at shortstop being in the 85th% in OAA and 74th% in arm strength. With a full offseason to recover, Kim should be back to Gold Glove caliber defense and a slightly above average hitter in 2025.

The Bad:

Kim’s profile has always been glove-first, but in 2023, he had an OPS+ of 107. So there is an above-average hitter in there. The problems therein come from a lack of power. His analytics show he has never been one to hit the ball hard, nor has he shown the strength in the MLB to be a consistent threat with the bat in his hands. His 2024 season was no different as he was in the 17th percentile in xSLG, 25th percentile in Average Exit Velocity, 18th percentile in Barrel%, and 23rd percentile in Hard-Hit%. For somebody who makes weak contact like Kim, a 24.3 Flyball% is not ideal. The Barrel% is highly concerning because he has never been close to average in that category. While 2024 was the highest his Barrel% has been (4.8%) it is a FAR CRY from the league average of 7.0%. His Solid Contact% was also a career low in 2024 at 4.8%, while the league was at a 5.9%. There is a chance these numbers improve in 2025, but they are still concerning nonetheless.

Who’s A Fit?

The teams I see as fits for Kim are the Braves, Padres, Blue Jays (Potentially), Guardians, and Brewers. Kim is a Scott Boras client who would effectively take out the Braves and Guardians, but they are still a great fit for the player Kim is, nonetheless.

• The Braves would be upgrading a position of need drastically, considering that Orlando Arcia is a replacement-level player. Kim has performed better than Arcia in virtually every category for a couple of years now, and the Braves are in win-now mode. Kim would be much closer to a Dansby Swanson-level player than Arcia, which would lengthen and improve Atlanta’s offense tremendously.

• The Padres know who Kim is as a player and they have a sense of comfortability with him. Their infield defense is drastically better with Kim playing shortstop or second base (he will probably play second as rumors are Xander Bogaerts will return to Short in 2025). The Padres could use the athleticism and range he provides at either of the middle infield positions.

• The Blue Jays can’t get anyone to take their money… the rumors from media outlets are that Bo Bichette is on the market and that the Jays are selling. If that happens and they decide to move on from Bichette, it will leave a massive hole at shortstop that Kim could potentially slide into perfectly. The Blue Jays want to throw money out there, and Scott Boras does his best to get the most money for his clients. Along with the fact that Toronto has a history of signing Asian-born players, the fit is there.

• Since the Guardians traded Andres Gimenez, their middle infield is lacking just a bit, with Juan Brito, Brayan Rocchio, and Daniel Schneeman listed as the teams’ middle infielders. Kim would be a vast improvement over Rocchio and Schneeman. While Brito will be a rookie (with good MILB numbers) who could slot in as the everyday shortstop, Kim could be a great defensive fit at second base. As a player, this seems like a VERY “Guardians” move; the only issue is Scott Boras.

• The Brewers just lost arguably their best player to the Giants in Willy Adames, and they are also notorious non-spenders. However, Ha-Seong Kim could be a good replacement for Adames in that lineup. He won’t have the offensive upside by far, but the Brewers are still in contention for the NL Central and still have a great core of players to build around. Kim would be exactly what the Brewers try to do, and that’s to play great defense, steal bags, and use athleticism to the fullest. The Brewers have middle infield depth but could want a little more and can easily add that with Kim.

Conclusion:

In my opinion, Kim signs a deal 1 year “prove it” deal to show he can bounce back after shoulder surgery. Scott Boras wants to get the most money for his clients, but he has messed up some of his clients' deals, and they aren’t considered “superstars,” and Kim is certainly no superstar. He is a very good player who can help a lot of different teams in different areas, but teams shouldn’t be breaking the bank in order to sign him until he proves he can come back healthy and produce at his 2023 levels again.

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