Last December, Kim Hye-seong (25), who announced his intention to challenge for Major League Baseball (MLB) and entered the posting process, has finally decided on his final destination. His choice was the 2024 World Series champion LA Dodgers.
On the 4th (Korean time), the official website of Major League Baseball in the United States, MLB.com, reported that “the LA Dodgers signed a 3-year, $12.5 million (approximately 18.4 billion won) guaranteed contract with utility player Kim Hye-seong of the KBO (Korean Professional Baseball) Kiwoom Heroes.”
Following this, American media outlets The Athletic, AP, and Kim Hye-seong’s agency CAA also announced Kim Hye-seong’s move to the LA Dodgers, stating, “There is an option to extend the contract for two more years in 2028 and 2029 after the contract expires, so the contract size can go up to $22 million (about 32.4 billion won).”
The Los Angeles Dodgers, a National League West division team, boasts a high level of recognition in Korea, having played for the first Korean-born major leaguer, Chan-ho Park, and later the “monster” Hyun-jin Ryu. The Los Angeles Dodgers are also home to Shohei Ohtani (30, Japan), the first Asian player to achieve both a double-deck career and 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in the major leagues.
When Kim Hye-seong’s transfer to the LA Dodgers was confirmed, Ohtani welcomed Kim Hye-seong’s joining the team through his official SNS account (Instagram) with the message, “Welcome, friend.”
In fact, Ohtani’s advice also played a part in Kim Hye-seong’s decision to join the LA Dodgers.
It was confirmed that after posting, Kim Hye-seong received offers from the Los Angeles Angels, a much better deal worth $28 million over five years, in addition to the Dodgers, as well as the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners, where Kim Ha-seong plays.
CAA Sports reported, “After Hye-seong Kim left for the United States, we believe that the consultation with Ohtani, who is also under the same agency, had some influence on his decision to transfer to the Dodgers, regardless of the financial issue.”
Kim Hye-seong is a top-tier infield utility player who has won the Gold Glove Award at both shortstop and second base, and has been serving as the captain and ace of the Kiwoom Heroes since Lee Jung-hoo (26, San Francisco) entered the big league.
In the 2023 season, Kim Hye-sung achieved a career-high and secured a gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games, clearing his military service obligation. This, coupled with senior Kim Ha-sung’s successful Major League debut and the large posting contract of fellow rookie Lee Jung-hoo, naturally led to Kim Hye-sung’s garnering attention from Major League officials.
In 2024, which was his final season in the KBO, Kim Hye-seong’s performance was decent with a batting average of 0.326, 11 home runs, 75 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases. However, minor injuries and inconsistencies led to a somewhat disappointing season for him as he prepares to post.
However, it was clear that he left an impressive performance, such as recording a hit and an RBI, in the exhibition games against the San Diego Padres and LA Dodgers held before the opening game of the Major League Baseball Seoul Series, and this ultimately led to his successful advancement to the major leagues.
Now, the ‘homework’ left for Kim Hye-seong is the fierce competition for a position. Although he has succeeded in making the 40-man roster, he must demonstrate solid skills during spring training to be included in the 26-man roster, which guarantees him a full starting position.
Kim Hye-seong’s contract does not include a minor league opt-out, and LA Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomez also stated regarding the infield operation plan for next season, “Mookie Betts will be a regular at shortstop and Gavin Lux will be a regular at second base, and Kim Hye-seong is classified as a utility resource.” Therefore, competition for Kim Hye-seong’s roster spot is inevitable.
Kim Hye-seong’s current weakness is considered to be her ‘low number of home runs’. Her total of 37 home runs over eight seasons is somewhat insufficient, and the 2024 season was the first time she hit double-digit home runs, so she needs to increase her home run production capacity along with her durability.
However, what experts are positively evaluating is that, compared to Kim Ha-seong, who won the Golden Glove for the infield utility category in the 2023 Major League Baseball season, the majority of opinions say that Kim Hye-seong is superior to Kim Ha-seong in terms of defensive sense, base-running ability, and contact ability (ability to hit the ball) that he showed in the KBO League.
Kim Hye-seong will soon depart for the United States to undergo a medical test, finalize his contract, and then participate in spring camp starting in February.
