Dodgers sign KBO star Hyeseong Kim to 3-year, $12.5M deal
The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Korean second baseman Hyeseong Kim to a three-year, $12.5-million contract, they announced Friday.
Kim's deal also includes a two-year club option for 2028-29 that must be picked up together. If exercised, the option could bring the contract's total value to $22 million, Kim's agency, CAA Baseball, confirmed to Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News.
Kim had until 5 p.m. ET Friday to negotiate a deal with an MLB club, or he would've returned to the Kiwoom Heroes of the Korean Baseball Organization.
Just waking up (5 a.m. Saturday here!) and reading Korean media reports on Hyeseong Kim's signing with Dodgers. (3yrs+ 2yr option at max. $22M)
— Jeeho Yoo (@Jeeho_1) January 3, 2025
One report quotes a CAA official as saying Shohei Ohtani (fellow CAA client) met with Kim in the U.S. and "gave him a lot of advice"
The 25-year-old KBO star recorded 11 homers, 75 RBIs, 30 stolen bases, and a .841 OPS over 127 games for the Heroes in 2024. He also won the KBO Fielding Award at second base for a second consecutive season.
Hyeseong Kim. Dodger. 🇰🇷
— Shawn Spradling (@Shawn_Spradling) January 3, 2025
Enjoy his elite defensive highlight reel
pic.twitter.com/23cLE6twgI
Where he'll play in Los Angeles is still being determined. General manager Brandon Gomes said the team's current "mindset" remains heading into 2025 with Mookie Betts at shortstop and Gavin Lux at second, according to Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times. That means Kim, who has experience at both middle infield spots, is likely destined for a utility role.
Gomes also insisted the Dodgers "don't feel like there's anything necessarily that we need to do" as far as dealing from its abundance of infielders
— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) January 3, 2025
For now, team is looking at Kim signing as "adding a really talented player and kind of see where things play out" as spring nears
Kim left an impression on the Dodgers when he played against them during an exhibition game in Seoul last March as a member of the Korean national team.
"Our scouts like the second baseman, just the way his body moves," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said at the time, according to Yoo. "There's some life to the bat, and, defensively, he made a nice play out there."
The Dodgers will also have to pay the Heroes a release fee as part of the signing. Per the MLB-KBO posting agreement, as Kim's deal is worth less than $25 million guaranteed, L.A. will pay the Heroes 20% of his $12.5-million contract. If his option is picked up, Kiwoom would receive 15% of his salary in 2028-29, according to Yoo.
The defending World Series champions have now inked two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell, re-signed All-Star outfielder Teoscar Hernández, and reportedly added Kim this offseason.
To open a 40-man roster spot for Kim, the Dodgers designated catcher Diego Cartaya for assignment. Cartaya, once one of the organization's top prospects, put up a .686 OPS in 95 games split between Double-A and Triple-A last season.
The Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs, and San Diego Padres also made offers to Kim before he signed with the Dodgers, Yoo reports.