Before the 2021 season, Kim signed a four-year, 28-million-dollar contract with the San Diego Padres and crossed the Pacific Ocean. Until then, some called it a “duplex investment” by the San Diego Padres, which had a relatively clear infield structure. However, during his four years of stellar performance, Kim returned not only the principal of the investment but also the interest to the San Diego Padres. It deserves to be considered a “jackpot case” by the San Diego Padres, which did not easily get a good evaluation based on the success of the contract.
Kim Ha-sung has a one-year option contract with San Diego in 2025. San Diego will want to implement it, but there is zero possibility that Kim Ha-sung will accept it. Kim Ha-sung will be eligible as a free agent at the end of this season. Kim Ha-sung, who was selected as the FA market shortstop “TOP 2” before the season, is dreaming of a big hit this year, going forward without much downhill. It would be nice if the offense would be a little better, but it is evaluated that he can still aim for $100 million based on the total amount. 동행복권파워볼
As of the 28th (Korea Standard Time), Kim Ha-sung has played in 83 games this season and has a batting average of 0.223, an on-base percentage of 0.333, a slugging percentage of 0.385, an on-base plus slugging percentage of 0.718, 10 homers, 37 RBIs, 15 steals, and 43 points. Compared to last year’s batting average (.260) and OPS (.749), his offensive performance seems to have fallen somewhat, but that is not necessarily the case. In the adjustment OPS to prepare for the comparative group, Kim Ha-sung recorded 105 in 2022 and 108 last year. This means that he was 5% and 8% better than the average of the comparative group. This year’s 106 is almost the same as the last two years.
Last year, when he recorded his highest offensive performance, he mainly played second base, but this year, he has achieved it by playing shortstop, which has a greater burden on defense. Although the number of hits has decreased slightly compared to last year, the number of walks has increased a lot, bothering the opponent’s mound with persistent matches. It is also worth looking forward to his future performance. In the walk/strikeout index, which is called the batter’s unique indicator, Kim Ha-sung was 0.51 in 2022 and 0.60 last year. However, this year, this figure rose to 0.92. This is due to less strikeouts and more walks. This makes us expect that Kim Ha-sung’s batting index will be better in the future. On the other hand, despite some disappointing mistakes, his defense is still evaluated to exceed the league average.
Kim Ha-sung’s FA value is also still there. Ahead of the season, Kim Ha-sung competed for the top spot in the shortstop FA rankings along with Willy Adames of Milwaukee. Considering that shortstop players have been treated greatly in the market recently, Kim Ha-sung’s FA front line was also expected to be a great warm welcome. And it has maintained its ranking this year, not falling far from last year’s level in both offense and defense. One media outlet praised Kim Ha-sung as a “TOP 10” player in the FA market, raising expectations.
Major League Trade Rumors, which mainly deals with news of the Major League transfer market, marked the return point of the season on the 28th (Korea time), ranking the 2024-2025 Major League Free Agent Market. In this ranking, Kim Ha-sung ranked 8th overall and 2nd among shortstop after Adames, and was still recognized for his value. It is a proof that he still has great value in the market. The players above Kim Ha-sung are Juan Soto (New York Yankees, outfielder), Corbin Burns (Baltimore, starting pitcher), Willie Adames (Milwicket, third baseman), Alex Bregman (Houston, third baseman), Max Fried (Atlanta, starting pitcher), Jack Flaherty (Detroit, starting pitcher), and Pete Alonso (New York Mets, first baseman). Only four fielders were ranked higher than Kim Ha-sung. He is second to Adames as a central infielder (second baseman and shortstop).
Major League Trade Rumors said of Kim Ha-sung, “Kim Ha-sung is one of the best defenders in this class. Official indicators give him high marks for his wide range of performances in the infield. San Diego preferred Kim Ha-sung’s defense as their shortstop this year and also moved Xander Bogaerts to second base.”
Major League Trade Rumors continued, “The offensive profile is not that interesting. Kim Ha-sung is a decent hitter based on his outstanding strike zone recognition ability and pure contact technology. He drew as many walks as he was struck out. He has a batting average of 0.223, an on-base percentage of 0.333, and a slugging percentage of 0.385 after 328 at-bats,” noting that Kim Ha-sung’s in-play batting average (BABIP) is only 0.236. He said he is likely to get better in the future. Major League Trade Rumors pointed out that he has some bad luck in that regard.
“Major League Trade Rumors” said, “After a bad first season at the Major League level, Kim Ha-sung was worth more than four wins (meaning more than WAR 4.0) compared to his replacement every year for the next two years. He is showing a similar pace in 2024,” adding, “Kim Ha-sung has become an above-average main player last year with a combination of contact, defense, and base running.” He expressed his expectations, saying, “He is entering the 29-year-old season and may sign a five-year contract in the free agent market.”
Major League Trade Rumors pointed out that Kim Ha-sung’s overall offense power is not impressive. However, it should be taken into account that his position is shortstop. It would be great if his batting average is higher than now, but considering the defense capability of the Gold Glove, he can be treated better in the market even with his current level of offense. The recent surge in the ranking of Adames, who was evaluated similarly to Kim Ha-sung in the pre-season preview, is also related to his strong offense this year.
If a five-year contract is signed as expected by Major League Trade Rumors, Kim Ha-sung’s total annual salary could exceed $100 million. This is because Kim Ha-sung’s current performance is worth about $20 million per year, considering the overall indicators such as WAR. According to a tally by the statistics website FanGraph, Kim Ha-sung’s value based on WAR was $29.7 million in 2022 and $34.6 million in 2023, reaching $18.1 million this year, halfway through the season. Even considering that he is getting older, $20 million a year is by no means an unreasonable demand. In addition, he is a player who is capable of both second and third basemen as well as shortstop. He is an essential type of player for the team’s infield.
Kim Ha-sung also needs his last spurt. And he is showing potential. Kim Ha-sung’s performance was not that good during May. However, in the last seven games, his performance has been gradually improving, with a batting average of 0.292, an on-base percentage of 0.370, and a slugging percentage of 0.417. It is also worth expecting for Kim Ha-sung’s strong performance in the summer of June and July. Since defense is an area that has already been proven, if only offensive productivity improves, it can give a strong impression to Major League clubs.
Meanwhile, Major League Trade Rumors picked Juan Soto and Corbin Burns as the biggest two-hitter. The two players deserve to be selected as this year’s biggest fish in terms of skills. In particular, Soto is playing hardball ahead of his qualification as a free agent, and he is 26 years old this year. Expectations are rising that he will demand a total of more than 500 million dollars. Although Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers signed a 10-year contract worth 700 million dollars ahead of this year, his actual value is estimated to be in the mid-400 million dollars, as 680 million dollars is tied up with a payment grace period. Soto is the last player to do so for the time being.
Burns, who was traded to Baltimore ahead of this season, is also showing good performance to the extent that he is competing for the top ERA in the American League. Major League Trade Rumors also predicted that Burns, who has better performance than 31-year-old Aaron Nola, signed a seven-year, $172 million contract last year, will receive more than $200 million in total and could break $250 million.