Dodgers Reportedly Sign Korean Star Second Baseman Hyeseong Kim
ESPN and KBO Insider Daniel Kim first reported on Friday afternoon that the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Korean second baseman Hyeseong Kim to a three-year, $12.5 million deal. According to MLB Insider Jon Heyman, the contract includes a 2028-2029 option that could raise the total value to $22 million. The 25-year-old middle infielder was posted by his KBO team, the Kiwoom Heroes, in early December. Under MLB's posting rules, he had 30 days to sign with an MLB team or return to the Heroes for a ninth season in Korea.
Kim’s agency, Coastal Athletic Association (CAA), revealed that Shohei Ohtani, a fellow CAA client, met with Kim in the U.S. and provided him with “a lot of advice.” The agency also disclosed that the Los Angeles Angels offered Kim a five-year, $28 million deal, while the Seattle Mariners and Chicago Cubs also made competitive offers. This suggests Kim took less money to play for the Dodgers, choosing to join MLB’s most recent superteam.
The Dodgers had the opportunity to scout Kim up close last March in an exhibition game against the Kiwoom Heroes in Korea, prior to opening the season with the Seoul Series against the San Diego Padres. In the game, Kim launched a double off the right-field wall against Dodgers starter Bobby Miller.
Although the exhibition game concluded in a lopsided 14-3 victory for the Dodgers, Kim remained one of the highlights for the Heroes. Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts noted, “Our scouts like the second baseman,” according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network. In further quotes from the same interview, Roberts stated, “There's some life to the bat and, defensively, he made a nice play out there.” The Dodgers’ recent interest in Kim, therefore, was nothing new.
In his time in the KBO, Kim hit .304 and logged a .364 on-base percentage. He also stole at least 20 bases in each of the past seven seasons, peaking at 46 during his 2021 campaign. The left-handed-hitting second baseman slashed .326 with 11 home runs and 30 steals for the Heroes during the past season, solidifying his status as one of the KBO’s biggest stars.
Along with Kim’s stellar speed on the basepaths and plate discipline, he brings elite defence. Kim is a four-time winner of the KBO Gold Glove Award, which honours the best overall player at each position. He won the award three consecutive years at second base after earning it at shortstop in 2021.
In a report by Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, the Dodgers plan to play superstar Mookie Betts at shortstop and Gavin Lux at second base in 2025. This would position Kim as a super-utility player, splitting time between the outfield and middle infield. However, Gavin Lux, the former top-five MLB prospect, hasn’t quite panned out as expected due to his recurring injury history. There may be questions about Lux’s durability in 2025 as he returns from torn MCL and ACL ligaments in his knee, injuries that ended his 2024 season before it even began last February.
The Dodgers’ infield situation is undoubtedly crowded, and a starting role for Kim on opening day is unlikely. He will likely compete with fellow Dodgers utility player Chris Taylor for playing time at second base and in the outfield. Taylor, a former All-Star, posted lacklustre numbers in 2024, producing a -0.5 fWAR on the year. This could leave Taylor without playing time, and Kim’s role could prove critical as the season progresses, especially during the demanding late-summer stretch. His versatility may also be vital next offseason, with the contracts of Max Muncy, Miguel Rojas, and Chris Taylor set to expire.
The primary concern with Kim’s game is his lack of power at the MLB level. While he hit a career-high 11 home runs in 2024, he has totalled just 37 home runs across eight KBO seasons. However, power has never been Kim’s main selling point. The Dodgers launched the third-most home runs in MLB last year (233) and recently re-signed 2024 MLB T-Mobile Home Run Derby Champion Teoscar Hernández to a three-year deal. Thus, the Dodgers may be the perfect fit.
Kim, the left-handed speedster, becomes yet another addition to the World Series champions’ offseason spending spree. The Dodgers aim to repeat their success in 2025, looking even more dangerous than before.
