The Tampa Bay Rays have reportedly signed the top free-agent short stop available on a short-term deal this off-season, picking up 29-year old Ha-Seong Kim (김하성) one a two-year deal.
Kim is currently recovering from a shoulder surgery that likely slows his start to the season, but once he arrives should get ample playing time, particularly against south paws — against whom he has a career 122 wRC+.
The two-year deal is reportedly worth $29M deal and includes an opt-out after 2025; however, should the player be performing at a high level and the Rays would like to retain him, they’ll be in position to make a Qualifying Offer, which at a minimum would net the Rays a draft pick if he signs elsewhere.
Most importantly, this deal should provide additional coverage at short stop should the Rays want to provide top prospect Carson Williams with more time to develop, as the team will have three players who are primarily short stops in Kim, switch hitting Taylor Walls, and the American League’s stolen base leader Jose Caballero.
For more on Kim, here’s a great breakdown from MLB Network which calls him “one of the better players” in Major League Baseball.