10:41pm: The Heroes introduced that the posting window will open at 8:00 am Japanese on Thursday. MLB is evidently ready till tomorrow to formally notify groups about his availability. Kim can have till 5:00 pm Japanese on January 3 to signal (X hyperlink by way of Yoo).
9:17pm: The KBO introduced that the Heroes have formally made Kim out there by way of the posting system. The posting went into impact at midday on Wednesday in South Korean time, not at 12:00 pm Japanese as beforehand reported. In keeping with Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap Information (X hyperlink), the 30-day signing interval will formally start at 8:00 a.m. Japanese the morning after MLB informs groups of Kim’s posting.
2:30pm: Infielder Hyeseong Kim is anticipated to be formally posted by the Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Group on Wednesday at midday Japanese/11am Central, per Jon Morosi of MLB Community (X hyperlink). As soon as it’s official, that may begin a 30-day window the place all MLB golf equipment can negotiate with Kim and his representatives. If no deal is signed in that point, he’ll return to the Heroes for the 2025 season. (The NPB posting window has been expanded from 30 days to 45 days however KBO gamers nonetheless have a 30-day timeframe.)
Kim, 26 in January, stated himself final week that he believed the formal posting course of was a couple of week away. It seems that timeline is holding, so Kim will likely be formally be out there to MLB golf equipment as of tomorrow. Kim will likely be thought-about a “skilled” below MLB guidelines as a result of he’s at the very least 25 years previous and has at the very least six years of expertise in a international league. As such, he can signal a deal of any size or greenback quantity, relying on what MLB golf equipment are prepared to supply. That’s in distinction to somebody like Roki Sasaki, who is simply 23 years previous and can subsequently be capped by the worldwide bonus system.
It isn’t possible that Kim will safe an enormous deal, however he might nonetheless have some curiosity. He’s anticipated to offer a considerably comparable skillset to his former double play companion Ha-Seong Kim, no relation, as each gamers are thought-about sure-handed defenders at a number of spots on the diamond. Hyeseong has largely performed the 2 center infield spots, but additionally with transient stints at third base and within the outfield corners.
Offensively, Hyeseong is a tick beneath Ha-Seong, nevertheless. Hyeseong has slashed .304/.364/.403 in his eight KBO seasons whereas Ha-Seong hit .294/.373/.493 in his seven campaigns in Korea. The batting common and on-base numbers are pretty shut however Ha-Seong clearly has the sting when it comes to slugging. Hyeseong received to 11 house runs in 2024, a profession excessive for him, whereas Ha-Seong had 19 or extra homers in his remaining six KBO seasons, together with 30 within the remaining 12 months.
Nonetheless, even when Hyeseong is a tick beneath Ha-Seong within the energy division, his youth and athleticism ought to work in his favor. As talked about, he’s thought-about a powerful defender and may very well be positioned at a number of completely different positions. He has stolen between 20 and 46 bases in every of the previous six seasons.
MLBTR predicted he might safe a three-year cope with a $24MM assure as a part of the annual Prime 50 Free Brokers publish. Nevertheless, predicting the curiosity in a participant making the transfer from abroad might be troublesome, as gamers like Jung Hoo Lee and Masataka Yoshida each proved to have rather more incomes energy than was assumed by forecasters.
The Mariners are reportedly thinking about Kim but it surely stands to motive that loads of others could be within the combine as properly, given his versatility. Golf equipment just like the Giants, White Sox, Marlins, Brewers and others are speculative suits. Gamers like Willy Adames, Ha-Seong Kim, Gleyber Torres and others are additionally out there within the center infield free agent market. They are going to be joined by Hyeseong however the 30-day posting window means there will likely be readability on his standing by the primary few days of 2025, on the newest.
Along with the cash going to Kim, a signing membership will even must pay a posting charge to the Heroes, the worth of which is able to rely on the scale of the contract. The charge will likely be calculated as 20% of the contract’s first $25MM, plus 17.5% of the subsequent $25MM and 15% of any {dollars} thereafter. Further earnings, akin to efficiency bonuses/incentives or salaries on choice years fall below that purview as soon as they’re unlocked or exercised.