After being put on the operating table, there are doubts whether he will be able to properly recognize his ransom. If he pays 21.05 million U.S. dollars, which far exceeds 8 million dollars (18.8 billion won or 10.8 billion won or 10.8 billion won or 11.5 billion won or 10.8 billion won or 10.4 billion won or 10.4 billion won or 11.5 million won or 11.5 million won or 11.5 million won or 11.8 million won or 11.5 million won or 11.5 million won or 11.8 million won or 11.8 million dollars, he could choose to become a free agent again.
According to a number of media, including U.S. sports media ESPN, on the 11th (Korea time), the qualifying offer (QO) for the 2024-2025 offseason is expected to be $21.05 million.
The amount is determined by calculating the average annual salary of the top 125 players in the QO Major League (MLB), and if the club makes an offer to the player ahead of the FA, the player will have the authority to accept it.
Kim Ha-sung (29), who signed a contract for up to $39 million (52.7 billion won) for 4+1 years and settled in the San Diego Padres in 2021, will have his basic four-year contract expired when he finishes this season. If the mutual option is invoked, he will remain with the club and be guaranteed an annual salary of $8 million, but many media already predict that Kim Ha-sung is more likely to come to the market as an FA than to remain after receiving the amount.
It is predicted that Kim Ha-sung’s market value will exceed 100 million dollars (135.1 billion won). It is expected that it will be possible to sign a contract of more than six years, and in this case, the annual salary can be less than 20 million dollars. The QO amount itself can be attractive enough.
It is not just about the amount of money. We should look back on Kim Ha-sung’s season this year. If he had joined the team as a free agent after the end of last year, chances are high that the situation would have been different. Having played a perfect defense as a utility player, Kim became the first Asian infielder to play Gold Glove in the MLB. Furthermore, he posted a career-high batting average of 0.260 with 17 homers, 60 RBIs and 38 steals, and OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.749.
However, this season has been somewhat disappointing. He only posted a batting average of 0.233, 11 homers and 47 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.700, while his return to shortstop increased the number of errors he made from just seven in three positions to 11 last year, showing lack of stability in defense as well.
Due to injuries, he played only 121 games, down 31 from 152 games last year. After getting on base with a hit on August 19, he complained of shoulder pain during the process of checking the opponent, and eventually underwent a suture surgery with his right shoulder joint.
It is not certain when he will be able to return to the next season, and it is uncertain whether he will be able to maintain his normal condition due to rehabilitation. Of course, since the evaluation of Kim Ha-sung has already been completed, there is a possibility that the team that values him highly will recruit him at the risk of the ups and downs of next season, but it cannot help but be a burden.
In many ways, QO can be pretty good. If QO stays in San Diego for a year, fully recovers and shows his ability, he may be in the FA market with better reviews than he is now after the 2025 season.
Like Kim Ha-sung, Ryu Hyun-jin, who returned after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder joint, was able to come out as a FA ahead of the 2019 season, but accepted the LA Dodgers’ QO offer and remained on the team for $17.9 million (24.1 billion won), before moving to the Toronto Blue Jays for $80 million (108.1 billion won) in four years the following year.
Of course, QO is not possible just because Kim Ha-sung wants it. This is only possible if the club proposes it. Kim Ha-sung is still in a desperate need in San Diego, but it is unclear whether he will propose a QO that is twice as expensive as this, given that there is already a one-year mutual option condition.
Another variable is that even if San Diego proposes it, there is no guarantee that it will do better than this year. If you return after surgery and experience ups and downs, there is a possibility that the market’s evaluation will fall further next year.
Kim Ha-sung recently signed an agent contract with Scott Boras. The prevailing observation is that he will leave the team due to the tendency of Boras, a “super agent.” However, since Ryu Hyun-jin was also a customer of Boras and had injuries in the same part as Kim Ha-sung, attention is being paid to Kim Ha-sung’s move next season. 메이저놀이터
