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Ha-Seong Kim, the KBO legend who had a breakout 2022 season in San Diego, is the perfect medium. Now with Xander Bogaerts in place, the Padres might have one too many infielders and be on the look out for a trade with needs they still hope to fit. Kim might make for a neat departure to Minnesota.
Kim’s MLB ascent never felt like destiny. He signed with the Padres on a four-year deal at the same time the team had given Fernando Tatis Jr. a contract to essentially play shortstop for the next decade. That first year, Kim moved around the diamond playing second and third base but eventually fell into the role of shortstop after a shoulder injury pushed Tatis to the outfield.
Like most players coming from Asian leagues, Kim at first struggled to adjust to big-league pitching, hitting just above the Mendoza Line (.200) and lacking the kind of power that made him one of Korea’s most dominant players. But Kim got a major opportunity in 2022 after Tatis, who was already looking at a more permanent position in the outfield, failed to return to the field first due to a motorcycle accident and then a PED suspension. Kim adjusted his swing, hitting a respectable .251/.325/.383 for a 105 WRC+. He perhaps lacked the power that defines so many of the league’s best bats, but spent the year honing his plate discipline to avoid chasing the ball and simply getting on base. He also stole a dozen bases—more than anyone with the Twins last year, and likely to be an essential skill in next year’s pitch clock environment.
More so, every night in San Diego he put on a defensive clinic. Although defensive metrics for baseball remain somewhat nebulous, he posted a 10.0 Defensive WAR, over twice what Kyle Farmer and Correa managed last year (this may just speak to the weakness of those decisions).
The Padres have Kim for another two years and a mutual option in 2025, but AJ Preller seems determined to lock up every superstar he can get his hands on. That might make their needs change. While it is possible that Kim flips back over the second base or occasionally fills for Manny Machado, the org may be on the lookout for other possible holes to fill instead that the Twins might be able to provide.
Kim’s contract is perfect for the Twins. Elite defense is always needed, and if Kim continues to improve against big league pitching, he could fit in nicely in the heart of the order (and speaking of clutch: Kim was a major player for the Padres' unlikely playoff wins against both the Mets and the Dodgers at a time in which neither Machado nor Juan Soto did much damage).
More so, the big question mark remains what a timeline for either Royce Lewis or Brooks Lee might look like. With Kyle Farmer, you pray that Lewis is ready as soon as he can get on his feet. But with Kim under control for two years, you might actually have time to let Lewis loosen up while also perhaps already ceding that ground to Lee if his timeline continues. With both Farmer and Kim, the Twins can mix and match as well as platoon throughout the infield.
Given recent blockbuster contracts for not just superstars but even mid-rotation pitchers, the Twins should just realize if they do not plan on dumping money on Correa’s front lawn, they are likely to miss on every free agent pitcher this year. Spending real money should remain the organization’s goal, but if they genuinely care about being creative instead, Kim could be an interesting middle ground to avoid one-year contracts and give genuine time to develop the rookies.
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