It was announced on Friday that the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Hyeseong Kim to a three-year, $12.5 million contract that includes a two-year team option for the 2028 and 2029 seasons.
Shortly after it was reported that Kim turned down a more lucrative deal to join Los Angeles, while there are plenty of good reasons for a player to take a smaller contract to sign with the Dodgers, in professional sports money usually speaks the loudest.
Although several players have rejected other offers in hopes of playing for the Dodgers. Teoscar Hernandez turned down a deal to play for the New York Mets and Nolan Arenado rejected a trade to the Houston Astros in order to be available for LA.
Did Shohei Ohtani’s Advice Aid The Dodgers’ Pursuit of Hyeseong Kim?
Along with that reporting, it surfaced that reigning MVP Shohei Ohtani met with Kim and gave him some advice while he was officially a free agent.
What the advice was is still unknown, but given Ohtani’s trajectory in the league, playing six seasons on a sub .500 team before signing with the Dodgers and winning a World Series, it could have been something like, ‘sign with a good team, or wallow on a bad one.’
Whatever the advice could have been, it seems to have swayed Kim in the So. Cal direction. Shortly after the announcement, Ohtani posted “Welcome my friend” on Instagram stories along with a photo of Kim
The Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels, San Diego Padres, and Chicago Cubs are also believed to have made contract offers to Kim.
Kim’s versatility could make him a valuable asset, as a so-called super utility player, as the infield is now crowded with talent. His career .304 batting average, coupled with 37 home runs and 211 stolen bases in 953 KBO games, shows his offensive potential.
His speed can significantly impact the game, particularly in the current MLB landscape, which encourages aggressive base running.