Is it because of the injury? Kim Ha-sung’s name was not even mentioned in the LA Dodgers’ list of key players for this winter, which was mentioned by the U.S. media.
USA Today’s Bob Nightingale addressed what moves the Dodgers should make this winter to solve the shortstop problem they are facing on the 23rd (Korea Standard Time).
The media said, “This season, the Dodgers tried to use Mookie Betts (32), who was a right fielder, as a shortstop to solve the shortstop problem, but did not get a good result.”
“The most ideal and realistic alternative for the Dodgers is to sign Willy Adames (29. Milwaukee), who will qualify as an FA (free agent) after the end of this season, or to sign Bobissett (26) from Toronto through a trade,” the media said.
Adames from the Dominican Republic made his big league debut in 2018 wearing a Tampa Bay uniform. At that time, he was in charge of Tampa Bay’s offense with Choi Ji-man (33), so he is familiar to Korean fans.
Adames was traded to his current team Milwaukee in the middle of the 2021 season after a successful big league debut with Tampa Bay and becoming a starting player. In his first year of transfer, he hit .262 with 25 homers and 73 RBIs, which was considered a successful transfer.
In 2022, he played in 139 games during this season, posting an outstanding performance with a batting average of 0.238 and 31 homers and 98 RBIs. Although he slowed down for a while with 24 homers last year, he has posted a batting average of 0.250 and 32 homers and 110 RBIs as of Tuesday. Both homers and RBIs are career highs.
The media said, “Adames has good baseball skills but also good personality within the clubhouse. He has good leadership. Therefore, he fits well with the clubhouse atmosphere pursued by the Dodgers.”
If Adames’ contract fails, the media advised Bissett to be acquired through a trade with Toronto.
Bissett, a Florida native, made his Major League debut in 2019 with his current team, Toronto. He played only 46 games in his first year, and in 2020, the following year, he played only 29 games due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
However, Bissett took over the position as the team’s main shortstop in 2021, appearing in a total of 159 games and displaying remarkable performance with a batting average of 0.298, 29 homers, 102 RBIs, and 25 steals. His performance stands out even more because he is a shortstop who has a heavy defense burden. Since then, Bissett has been recognized as a leading shortstop in the league with 20+ homers for three consecutive years until last year. 토토사이트
However, he played in 81 games as of Tuesday due to calf injury, and his performance is still sluggish with a batting average of 0.225 and four homers and 31 RBIs. Last week, he was out for the season after fracturing his right middle finger in the game he played after returning from injury.
“Bissett’s finger fracture is not a problem at all in preparing for next season,” the media said. “If the Dodgers bring Adames or Bissett and solve the problematic shortstop position, their offense will be even scarier.”
Meanwhile, Kim Ha-sung, who suffered a shoulder injury in the middle of last month and left the team’s power, is still uncertain to return within this season. The best thing is to return healthy and show his health before becoming an FA. If not, playing for San Diego for another year and playing as an FA is considered an alternative.
As of Tuesday, the San Diego Padres have only six games left until the end of the regular season. Kim Ha-sung does not have much time left before he returns to the mound.
