“Awesome KIM” Kim Ha-sung (29) refuses to invoke a mutual agreement option with the San Diego Padres in the U.S. Major League Baseball (MLB) and enters the free agent market.
The San Diego club said on the 3rd (Korea time) that “Kim Ha-sung refused to take effect on the option worth $8 million (about 11 billion won).” He will become an FA after his contract ends this season.
Earlier in 2021, Kim Ha-sung signed a contract with San Diego for 4+1 years, a guarantee amount of $28 million (about 38.6 billion won), and a maximum of $39 million (about 54 billion won). 토토사이트
The +1-year contract after the four-year contract is a “mutual agreement option” that will be played for an annual salary of 8 million dollars in 2025, and will be launched only when both the club and Kim Ha-sung agree. However, Kim Ha-sung decided to come to the FA market for a buyout of 2 million dollars.
MLB.COM said, “That’s not surprising news. Kim Ha-sung underwent surgery to seal the torn order of joints in his right shoulder, and he may miss the early 2025 season. However, he is a shortstop with good batting performance and outstanding defense.” He also predicted, “In the FA market, Kim Ha-sung is highly likely to sign a multi-year contract.”
U.S. media in the U.S. predicted Kim Ha-sung’s move to the FA market even before the 2024 season. Notably, The Athletic predicted that Kim Ha-sung’s FA contract will be worth 100 million U.S. dollars in total after the season.
However, Kim Ha-sung injured his shoulder during a game against the Colorado Rockies in August, and the expected contract size decreased as he underwent surgery.
The Athletic later evaluated Kim Ha-sung as the top 11 FA and predicted, “If it wasn’t for the shoulder problem, a six-year contract would have been possible,” adding, “He could sign a one-year contract and then seek a multi-year contract again next year.”
In addition, MLB.COM ranked Kim Ha-sung 17th in FA. If he solves his shoulder problem, it is expected that the team he wants will still remain.
During his four years with the San Diego Padres, Kim had a batting average of 0.242, an on-base percentage of 0.326, and a slugging percentage of 0.380, 47 homers, 200 RBIs and 78 steals in 540 big league games. In the 2024 season, he had a batting average of 0.233, 11 homers and 22 steals in 121 games due to his injury.
