Multiple local media outlets, including John Heyman of the U.S. "New York Post" and "Fan Sid" Robert Murray, reported on the 4th (Korea time) that Kim Hye-sung signed a contract with the LA Dodgers.스포츠토토
According to multiple media outlets in the U.S., Kim's contract is worth 22 million U.S. dollars for three years plus two years. The deal includes 12.5 million dollars (18.4 billion won) guaranteed for three years and plus two-year club options. If the Dodgers decides to accompany Kim, it will receive an additional 9.5 million dollars. There was no specific comment on whether the deal includes opt-out and the right to veto the Minor League.
Kim Hye-sung announced her entry into the Major League after the end of the 2023 season. It was a moment when it became official that Kim Hye-sung, who had previously expressed her greed for the big league in interviews with reporters, could move on to her dream. Since then, Kim Hye-sung signed a contract with "CAA Sports," to which Shohei Ohtani belongs, and went through the preparation process to advance to the big league, and was finally posted to 30 major league teams on the 5th of last month.
Immediately after the posting, Kim immediately boarded the plane to the U.S. She signed a contract and trained individuals at the same time. However, she returned to Korea without staying in the U.S. for less than a month. This sparked speculation that Kim may have received no offer from Major League teams. However, it was clear why Kim had to return early.
Kim, who received military service benefits through the Hangzhou Asian Games (AG), did not participate in the 2024 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier 12 and received military training, but is still a soldier until she finishes her volunteer work. As a result, her stay abroad was limited. However, as Kim's name was rarely mentioned through local media in the U.S., it was misleading.
In particular, Kim Hye-sung's specific destination was not discussed even two days before the posting deadline. Several media outlets reported that clubs in need of center infielders, such as the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres, made an offer to Kim Hye-sung, but the information could not be completely trusted as it was not a report from the influential media.
As such, the news of Kim Hye-sung's contract was not reported until a day before the posting deadline, but the destination was decided on the same day. It is the Los Angeles Dodgers, which also had numerous links with Kim Ha-sung. The Dodgers are a team that lifted the World Series trophy last year, and are very familiar to Korean fans as "Korean Express" Park Chan-ho and "Korean Monster" Ryu Hyun-jin were involved in the team in the past. In addition, Shohei Ohtani and Tommy Edman, "Korean" who wore the national flag at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, are currently affiliated.
The Dodgers, which has been pouring enormous amounts of money into the stove league since last year, has been aiming to strengthen the center infield this winter. They had a plan to return Mookie Betts, who was an outfielder until last year, to shortstop and use Tommy Edman as an outfielder. It is possible to clean up traffic with existing power, but additional recruitment with defensive power was needed to strengthen the infield. For this reason, Kim Ha-sung was mentioned as a candidate for the Dodgers.
However, Kim Ha-sung's trip to the Dodgers was not actually accomplished, because one of the reasons why Kim Ha-sung and the Dodgers were formed was the condition that "when he could not sign a contract with Theosca Hernandez." While Kim Ha-sung's name was being discussed with the Dodgers, the Dodgers re-signed Hernandez, and the frequency of mentioning Kim Ha-sung's name naturally decreased. However, the Dodgers did not give up on reinforcing the infield and held Kim Hye-sung in their arms.
Although he has passed the first hurdle of signing a contract with a major league team, it is not certain that he will be able to take the main role of the Dodgers. The Dodgers has been strengthening its power by taking "broadcasting steps" since last winter, and succeeded in reaching the top of the list. As such, they are not fully qualified. Even without Kim Hye-sung in the team, they have enough resources to take on the role of second baseman such as Gavin Lux, Chris Taylor, Miguel Rojas, Betts, and Edman. Therefore, they need to prove why they have to take the lead in the spring camp.
In particular, Kim has been guaranteed only 4 million U.S. dollars per year on average for three years. This also indirectly shows that the Dodgers can keep Kim at Triple-A or use him as a trade card without using him. Rather, it can be more difficult to get a role than signing a contract with the Dodgers.
Immediately after her contract was announced, U.S. media in the U.S. predicted that she will take on the role of utility. The Dodgers announced that it will make plans to use Mookie Betts as a shortstop and Gabon Lux as a second baseman in the offseason, said Fabian Aldaya of The Athletic. "According to sources, Kim will take on the role of a super utility in the Dodgers," he said.