Kim Hye-seong of the Los Angeles Dodgers speaks to reporters at Incheon Worldwide Airport, earlier than touring to the USA, Tuesday. Yonhap
Kim Hye-seong, the most recent South Korean participant for the Los Angeles Dodgers, departed for the USA on Tuesday, decided to crack the Opening Day roster and make his large league debut as quickly as attainable.
Kim signed a three-year, $12.5 million contract with the Dodgers on Jan. 3, the ultimate day of his 30-day negotiating interval after his posting course of started in early December. The Dodgers have a membership possibility for 2 extra years, which can enhance the full worth of Kim’s deal to a most of $22 million.
Together with possibility years, Kim may have had an opportunity to make as much as $28 million over 5 years with the Los Angeles Angels, however he selected the 2024 World Sequence champions as a substitute.
„The Dodgers are an amazing workforce, and I grew up watching them play fairly a bit due to Korean gamers there,“ Kim advised reporters at Incheon Worldwide Airport, west of Seoul, earlier than heading to the workforce’s spring coaching website in Arizona. „It will likely be an honor to make my main league debut with the membership I watched on tv. I wish to make it occur as shortly as I can. My speedy objective is to make the Opening Day roster.“
Kim revealed that the Dodgers had been the primary workforce to contact him after he was posted and added, „I used to be so grateful for that.“
An All-Star second baseman for the Kiwoom Heroes within the Korea Baseball Group (KBO) for the previous few years, Kim is predicted to be a utility participant for the Dodgers and deal with a number of positions throughout the sphere.
Kim has some expertise enjoying shortstop, third base and the 2 nook outfield positions within the KBO. The Dodgers have loads of center infielders, although they addressed their logjam by buying and selling Gavin Lux, their major second baseman final 12 months, on Jan. 6, three days after buying Kim.
Nonetheless, veteran utility gamers Chris Taylor and Miguel Rojas are nonetheless round, and Tommy Edman, a former Gold Glove winner at second base now enjoying middle subject, can also be capable of deal with center infield duties in a pinch. Mookie Betts, a perennial All-Star anticipated to be the beginning shortstop, can even play second base. Kim should earn his enjoying time via his first spring coaching, which begins subsequent month.
„My mindset has not modified after the commerce,“ Kim stated. „It will likely be my first 12 months and I should work onerous to earn my alternative.“
Requested what he can do to grow to be an enormous leaguer from the get-go, Kim stated, „I’ve to play higher than I did final 12 months. I need to have the ability to capitalize on my strengths and assist the workforce the very best I can.“
In his eight KBO seasons, Kim batted .304/.364/.403. With solely 37 residence runs in 953 video games, together with a career-high 11 in 2024, Kim has by no means been an influence hitter. However he stole a KBO-best 211 luggage between 2018, his first full season, and 2024, whereas solely being caught 37 instances. A former nationwide highschool batter of the 12 months, Kim batted not less than .300 in every of the previous 4 seasons.
The KBO created the Fielding Award in 2023 to acknowledge defensive excellence, and Kim gained the primary two editions at second base in 2023 and 2024.
He’s additionally a four-time recipient of the Golden Glove, awarded to the very best general participant at every place, successful it as shortstop in 2021 and as second baseman from 2022 to 2024.
Kim stated the Dodgers‘ infield depth did not dissuade him from signing with them.
„It isn’t as if I will not have competitors on a special workforce. Since that is my first 12 months, I assumed I must battle for my enjoying time irrespective of the place I ended up,“ he stated. „Finally, I made a decision I would attempt to try this on the Dodgers.“
As for the positions he could play for the Dodgers, Kim stated, „I need to have the ability to deal with no matter place the workforce asks me to play.“
Kim stated he acquired loads of suggestions from his former Heroes teammate and shut pal, San Francisco Giants outfielder Lee Jung-hoo. Lee signed with the Giants in December 2023 and shared with Kim what he’d realized throughout his first 12 months within the majors on and off the sphere.
With the Dodgers and the Giants being bitter rivals within the Nationwide League West, the 2 mates will get to fulfill quite a lot of instances, if Kim realizes his objective of creating the Dodgers roster.
„It should be enjoyable dealing with Jung-hoo. I’ve solely completed that in scrimmages,“ Kim stated with a smile. „I’ll attempt to catch the whole lot he hits.“
Kim, who wore No. 3 within the KBO, will don No. 6, with Taylor having his South Korean quantity. Former Dodgers star Trea Turner wore No. 6, and Kim stated Turner is one among his favourite gamers.
„Hopefully, I can even play effectively sporting the identical quantity as Trea Turner,“ Kim stated. (Yonhap)
