I watched the Dodgers, but...There is no place for Kim Hye-sung. The most likely destination is Seattle's 'Second base Muju Communist Party.'

I watched the Dodgers, but...There is no place for Kim Hye-sung. The most likely destination is Seattle's 'Second base Muju Communist Party.'

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The Seattle Mariners are expected to be the destination of infielder Kim Hye-sung (26, Kiwoom Heroes), who is preparing to challenge for the U.S. Major League through the posting system. He is constantly strongly connected to Kim as he has also left his second baseman position empty.

"Seattle is one of the teams showing interest in KBO star Kim Hye-sung," the official Major League website "MLB.com " said on the 7th (Korea Standard Time), adding that "Second base will be Seattle's priority this offseason as well. You can find the position overseas."

Based on the news reported by MLB Network reporter John Morosi, MLB.com said, "Seattle is one of the teams that carefully evaluated Kim. Kim, who posted a batting average of .34 for eight seasons in the KBO, has posted a batting average of .331 and 55 steals over the past two years. He also has excellent defense capabilities."
In addition to Seattle, MLB.com , which cited the Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels as the teams that need second basemen, added, "The Los Angeles Dodgers also saw Kim Hye-sung while playing practice games with the Kiwoom Heroes ahead of the opening of the 2024 season." At the time, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who said, "Our scouts like Kim Hye-sung," also posted a comment.

However, Gavin Lux is the main second baseman of the Dodgers, and he has three more seasons to go until he becomes a free agent. Although Lux did not meet expectations by posting a batting average of 251 (or 110 hits in 439 times at bat) and 10 homers, 50 RBIs and OPS.703 in 139 games this season, he rebounded by posting a batting average of 344 (or 55 hits in 181 times at bat) and seven homers and 26 RBIs in 61 games in the second half of the year.

In addition, the Dodgers could move outfielder Mookie Betts to the infield. According to MLB.com , Betts wants to move to second base or shortstop next year. It is because of the burden on the outfield defense, which has to run long distances in the aftermath of hip injury. "It is highly likely that Betts will return to the infield, but it has not been decided yet. We need to continue our dialogue," Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said. "It is important that Betts is less burdened."

There may be some changes depending on the team's strength during the offseason, but the nuance seems to be that he would respect Betts' intention if possible. If Betts plays second base, which is less burdensome than shortstop, Lux also has to offer a starting position, so there is no room for Kim Hye-sung to join the Dodgers.

However, Seattle has shown serious interest in Kim and has even left the second base spot empty. Jorge Polanco, who played as its main second baseman this season, has also been cleared up early. He gave up the option of having a 12-million-dollar salary for Polanco next year on Tuesday. Amid the aftermath of his hamstring injury, Polanco has been sluggish in 118 games with a batting average of 2.13 (89 hits in 417 at-bats) with 16 homers and 45 RBIs. After the season, he also underwent arthroscopic surgery due to knee injury.

Seattle's main second baseman has changed every year since Robinson Cano, a former star, left after 2018. He has been reduced to a weak position in the team for six years, but an attractive player named Kim Hye-sung is about to post. He is 26 years younger, which can be a card that can heal Seattle's weaknesses in second base in the long run.

Kim Hye-sung, a right-handed, left-handed infielder from Dongsan High School, was nominated by the Heroes as the seventh overall pick in the second round in 2017, and has a batting average of .343 (3,043 hits in 3,433 at-bats) of 37 home runs, 386 RBIs, 591 runs, 325 walks, 623 strikeouts, 211 steals and a .364 slugging percentage. He won the shortstop Golden Glove by becoming the steal king (46) in 2021, and moved to the second base from 2022-2023 to receive the Golden Glove for the third consecutive year.

He also gained experience in international competitions by playing for the national team in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, last year's World Baseball Classic (WBC), the Hangzhou Asian Games, and the Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC). From 2023 to 2024, he garnered the attention of Major League scouts by raising his batting average to 331 (352 hits in 1,065 at-bats) with 18 homers, 132 RBIs and OPS.842 in 264 games. 안전놀이터

Major League Trade Rumors (MLBTR) put Kim Hye-sung 26th in the FA rankings on the 5th and predicted that he will sign a three-year, $24 million contract. MLBTR, which cited Seattle, Angels, and Chicago White Sox as Kim Hye-sung's destinations, said, "Kim Hye-sung is only 26 years old and has the athletic ability to attract the club's attention even as a shortstop. There is no higher point than Kim Ha-sung, but he is a plus runner with solid defense and high-quality batting skills. Kim Ha-sung's four-year guarantee of $28 million contract with the San Diego Padres (January 2021) can be a reference point. Overseas player contracts are difficult to predict, but they will be able to sign a three-year contract at a reasonable price."