09:41: Sherman now tweets that the Padres are considered the favorite for Kim. An agreement has not yet been finalized, but the two parties have discussed an annual value of $ 7-8 million over a term of less than six years. If a deal is reached, Kim will step in at second base, and Cronenworth is likely to move to the outfield.
09:18: Kim is on a flight to the United States this morning, according to Jee-ho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency in South Korea. While Daniel Kim of DKTV and ESPN tweets that Kim is on his way to the US to take a body does not mean that he has selected another team. Kim needs to be present to complete a physical examination before closing his mail window, so it’s logical that he’s on his way to North America at the moment.
Meanwhile, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Blue Jays and Padres are considered forerunners for Kim, with the Red Sox still threatening as a possible but less likely destination. The Mets and Reds were “intrigued” by Kim, Sherman add, but are not considered favorites to sign him.
08:55: It is less than twelve hours ago that the Padres agreed to obtain an instant Blake Snell in a deal with the Rays, but it turns out it’s not the only big roster general manager AJ Preller hopes to complete before the new year. ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets that San Diego ‘is’ seriously underway’ with the free agent striker Ha-Seong Kim, posted by the Korean baseball organization’s Kiwoom Heroes for Major League Clubs.
Unlike most stars posted for MLB teams, Kim is completely in the middle of his first year. The 25-year-old has made a constant contribution to the Heroes throughout his career, but the past two seasons have seen his offensive output explode, even as the KBO has changed the composition of his ball in an effort to reduce the league. extremely hitter-friendly tendencies. Since 2019, Kim has batted .307 / .393 / .500 with 49 home runs, 62 doubles, three tries and a 56-for-62 series in stolen base attempts.
The Padres obviously do not have an urgent need for a fielder, thanks to the presence of Manny Machado on the third basis, Fernando Tatis Jr. at short stop and emerging Jake Cronenworth on second basis. However, Kim has experience on the short and third base, and he is also considered on the second base as a viable option. He can give the Padres – or another club – a versatile tool that allows them to rest their regular fielders a day a week or take on a bigger role in the event of an injury. It is also noteworthy that Cronenworth, despite an excellent debut in 2020, still has only 194 record jockeys left in the Major League.
There is no clear forerunner for Kim at this stage, although his market is close. Its 30-day broadcast period began on December 2 and should be completed by January 1 at 5:00 PM ET. The Blue Jays made an offer of at least five years, and reports from South Korea indicated that it has several offers of five years in hand. It’s not clear if the Padres have made a five-year proposal, but the talks revolve around Kim figures to pick up steam over the next few days while the offer for his services comes to an end.