“Kim is quietly having a good year, so his asking price is unlikely to drop.”
It’s possible that Kim’s (28, San Diego Padres) contract will come to a head in the 2023-2024 offseason. The 2024 season is the final guaranteed season of his 4+1 year, $39 million contract. If Kim picks up the $8 million team option, he will play through the 2025 season in San Diego and become a free agent.
However, he’s been one of the best offensive and defensive second basemen in baseball this season, so there’s no reason to pick up the team option. Barring a significant drop in performance in 2024, he could be eligible for free agency a year later.
So, one option for San Diego is to trade him. If you’re convinced that Kim’s price tag is going to skyrocket, there’s no reason why you can’t try to get something in return on the trade market. If you can get him to a team where he can play shortstop full-time, a trade isn’t a bad idea. It’s not like Kim has a trade veto.
With that in mind, MLB TradeRumors checked in on the Miami Marlins’ move to add a shortstop. Miami has been using Joey Wendle as their starting shortstop this season. However, his offensive production has dipped with a .222 batting average with two home runs, 20 RBIs, 32 runs scored and a .580 OPS in 103 games.
According to MLB Trade Rumors, “Miami will look to upgrade at shortstop this winter. The team could be looking at alternatives to Wendle.” In fact, the article goes on to detail Wendle’s decline in offensive production this season. He’s more of a utility player than a starter.메이저사이트
MLB Trade Rumors then checked in on shortstops on the free agent and trade market. In the paragraph on trades, they mentioned Ha-Sung Kim. “Ha Sung Kim moved to second base when San Diego acquired Xander Bogaerts, but he’s quietly having a good year and won’t come cheap,” it said.
“With 2024 being the last guaranteed year of his contract, he’s only a short-term solution.” For Miami, Kim is still a year away from free agency, so they may feel that trading him would be a long shot. On the other hand, there could be teams that are willing to take a chance on him.
Miami basically gave Kim a pass on his evaluation. If San Diego actually receives a trade request, it will be clear how much they value him. General manager A.J. Preller told local media that the team had already received trade offers for Kim earlier this season.