Rays sign SS Ha-Seong Kim to two-year deal

Kim will be slowed by a shoulder injury to start the year.

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, a rarity for a contract in Tampa Bay; however, should the player be performing at a high level and opt out, 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.

This is a big outlay for the Rays, but a reasonable price for a veteran who was popular among players and fans in San Diego. For context on the going rate of that contract:

MLBTR predicted Kim for a straight one-year pact with a $12MM guarantee, though with the caveat he could follow players like Rhys Hoskins and Michael Conforto in securing a two-year pact with an opt-out. Hoskins got $34MM from the Brewers and Conforto $36MM from the Giants.

These are apt comparisons, as Hoskins and Conforto were both returning from injury, although both were ready by Opening Day. Kim may take a while to return and could struggle getting his bat back into shape, as Hoskins and Conforto did in their first seasons; neither opted out of their contracts.

Then again, the Rays aren’t paying Kim for his ability to hit. In his four seasons with San Diego, Kim has played 2,500 innings at short stop, 1,000 innings at second base, and just under 600 innings at third, which fits the Rays ethos.

A gold glove winner at short stop in 2023, Kim has averaged 3.5 wins per season from 2022-2024, where his 10.6 fWAR ranks inside the Top-50 players in baseball during that time, ahead of other free agents like Pete Alonso.

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.