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Rays Signal Ha-Seong Kim – MLB Commerce Rumors


The Rays formally introduced the signing of Ha-Seong Kim to a two-year free agent deal. The Boras Company shopper is reportedly assured $29MM and might choose out after the primary season. Kim will make a $13MM base wage for the upcoming season. He can earn a further $2MM in efficiency bonuses, as he’ll make $10K for each plate look between 326 and 525. If Kim forgoes the opt-out, he’ll make $16MM in 2026. Lefty Brandon Eisert has been designated for task in a corresponding transfer.

Kim’s free company has been one of many harder ones to venture on account of his unsure well being standing. In August of final 12 months, whereas with the Padres, he injured his proper shoulder whereas diving again into first base on a pickoff try. He underwent surgical procedure in October to restore the labrum in that shoulder. His agent, Scott Boras, has since advised that Kim may very well be again on the sphere by April. Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller gave a extra nebulous and fewer optimistic reply of “Could, June, July.”

Previous to that harm, there was an argument for Kim securing a four- or five-year deal, maybe approaching 9 figures. However the harm to his throwing shoulder made that tougher to see. Although he’s a stable hitter, a giant a part of his attraction as a participant is his protection. He has performed most of his profession at shortstop but in addition has vital time at second and third base with sturdy marks in any respect three spots. If he comes again from surgical procedure with diminished arm power and is much less viable on the left facet of the diamond, that may minimize into his worth.

As such, it appeared probably that he would signal a deal that allowed him to return to free company subsequent 12 months, both on a one-year deal or a two-year pact with an opt-out. That might give him the possibility to doubtlessly return, show his well being and signal one other contract with the harm within the rear-view mirror.

In the beginning of the offseason, MLBTR predicted Kim for a straight one-year pact with a $12MM assure, although with the caveat he may observe gamers like Rhys Hoskins and Michael Conforto in securing a two-year pact with an opt-out. Hoskins bought $34MM from the Brewers and Conforto $36MM from the Giants. Each are represented by Boras and Kim switched his illustration to that company in October, shortly after his harm.

The conditions aren’t fully analogous. Each Hoskins and Conforto signed their offers after lacking a whole season however had been set to be wholesome as these offers started. Kim, nevertheless, appears more likely to begin the season on the injured checklist. Kim’s assure is available in a bit beneath these guys, maybe a mirrored image of the marginally totally different timeline.

That makes this an fascinating gamble for the Rays. If Kim’s harm lingers in the direction of the longer finish of Preller’s timeline, it’s attainable that they’re going to be paying him $13MM for simply half a season. If Kim doesn’t instantly get again in kind, he may then forego his opt-out and stick round for 2026 with a good increased wage. For what it’s price, each Hoskins and Conforto had tepid leads to the primary years of their respective offers and didn’t use their opt-outs.

The upside for the Rays is that they might get a extremely sturdy participant for a comparatively modest worth. Kim struggled on the plate in 2021, his first season after coming over from Korea, however has been above common in every of the three seasons since then. He stepped to plate 1,678 instances over the 2022 to 2024 campaigns, together with his 11% stroll charge and 17.9% strikeout charge each just a few ticks higher than common. Whereas not an enormous energy risk, he bought to double-digit homers in every of these campaigns, hitting 39 general. His mixed batting line of .250/.336/.385 led to a wRC+ of 106.

As talked about, Kim is a robust defender at a number of positions. He additionally stole 72 bases over the previous three years. Placing all of it collectively, FanGraphs has thought of him to be roughly a four-win participant. He was credited with 3.6 fWAR in 2022 and 4.2 the 12 months after. Final 12 months, the harm restricted him to simply 121 video games, so his fWAR tally got here in a bit lighter at 2.6.

The Rays have some query marks at shortstop. Wander Franco was alleged to be the long-term reply there however he hasn’t performed since August of 2023, when heinous allegations of sexual abuse in opposition to minors emerged. The authorized course of remains to be enjoying out on these prices however it will be shocking if he ever returns to the majors.

Gamers like Taylor Partitions, José Caballero and Osleivis Basabe are on the roster however every of them have posted lackluster offensive numbers of their respective careers to date. Prospect Carson Williams might be the brand new shortstop of the long run however he would possibly nonetheless want some extra time within the minors. He’s nonetheless not but 22 years previous, with that birthday developing in June, and spent all of final 12 months at Double-A. He did get into 4 Triple-A video games late in 2023 however the Rays would possibly need to ship him there for a barely longer stint earlier than giving him his main league debut.

For the Rays, ideally, Kim can return comparatively early within the 12 months and play like his previous self. Junior Caminero appears more likely to take over the third base job this 12 months, with Brandon Lowe and Yandy Díaz the projected regulars on the opposite facet of the infield. That would give them a formidable infield for almost all of the season.

If that plan involves fruition, Kim would probably opt-out and head again to free company. He can be leaving $16MM on the desk however can be on the lookout for a bigger assure on a multi-year deal. The Rays may then concern him a qualifying supply, which might most likely be round $22MM or so. The QO was $21.05MM this offseason however normally goes up over time as a consequence of salaries rising. The QO quantity is calculated by averaging out the salaries of the 125 highest-paid gamers within the league. That would enable the Rays to recoup draft choose compensation after which maybe hand over the shortstop job to Williams.

There are different less-ideal outcomes on the opposite finish of the spectrum. It’s attainable Kim doesn’t return till the second half. Or he returns sooner or later however his arm power isn’t fairly what it was, making him an imperfect shortstop answer. Or maybe Williams seizes the job earlier than Kim will get again, leaving him as one thing of a high-priced utility man. In these or different imperfect situations, the percentages of him staying for 2026 would enhance. That might naturally be an underwater deal at that time, since he would have walked away in any other case.

That wouldn’t essentially be the tip of the world, relying on the specifics. The Cubs bought an okay-but-not-great season out of Cody Bellinger in 2024, then noticed him forego an opt-out alternative. They had been nonetheless capable of dump many of the the rest of the contract on the Yankees. The Brewers, nevertheless, are seemingly caught with Hoskins after his mediocre season. That has maybe been a part of the explanation why they don’t have a variety of monetary wiggle room this winter.

The Rays are a low-spending membership, way more just like the Brewers than the Cubs or the Giants. Kim’s $13MM wage will truly make him the highest-paid participant on the crew. Although they’ve given out some huge extensions through the years, that is the third-largest assure they’ve given to a free agent, behind the $40MM they gave Zach Eflin and the $30MM they gave Charlie Morton.

It’s unclear precisely what kind of payroll parameters they’ve for 2025. Cot’s Baseball Contracts had them at $99MM on Opening Day final 12 months. They ended up transferring some gamers making notable salaries on the deadline, corresponding to Eflin, Randy Arozarena and Isaac Paredes. This offseason, they flipped Jeffrey Springs to the Athletics however then signed Danny Jansen and now Kim.

RosterResource now tasks them for a $90MM payroll this 12 months. That’s a bit beneath 2024 however additionally they may need further monetary issues aside from participant salaries. As a result of hurricane injury to Tropicana Subject, they’ll be enjoying the 2025 season at George M. Steinbrenner Subject in Tampa, Florida. That’s usually the house of the Tampa Tarpons, the Single-A affiliate of the Yankees. That’s presumably resulting in some surprising transferring prices and maybe much less ticket income for the upcoming season. Their plans for subsequent 12 months and past are murky as nicely.

It’s an fascinating gambit for the membership to take with its restricted assets. For golf equipment nonetheless on the lookout for center infield assist, Alex Bregman is a possible choice as a consequence of his reported willingness to play second base. Other than him, Jose Iglesias, Paul DeJong and Brendan Rodgers are among the notable free brokers.

Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported the two-year deal, $29MM assure and opt-out. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Instances first reported the particular annual breakdown and the incentives. Jon Heyman of The New York Put up reported that the bonuses begin at 325 plate appearances. The Related Press reported the $10K per plate look specifics.

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