Second baseman Hyeseong Kim, 25, will be posted by the KBO Kiwoom Heroes as of Dec. 5 at 8 a.m. ET. Any team agreeing to sign Kim will be subject to paying 20% of the first 25 million to the Kiwoom Heroes, then 17.5% of the next 25 million and 15% of any dollars thereafter. The deadline for Kim to sign with an MLB team is on Jan. 3 at 5 p.m. ET.
MLB Trade Rumors predicted in their annual Top 50 Free Agents post that Kim could secure a three-year deal worth $24 million.
Offensively, he offers a contact/speed profile with some extra-base hit power and some solid patience at the plate. His 2024 season was his best from a power standpoint, seeing him slash .326/.383/.458 with 11 home runs and 30 stolen bases. Kim will draw walks and use his speed on the bases, as he has stolen at least 20 bases in every season since 2018. Overall, Kim has hit .304/.364/.403 with 37 home runs and 211 stolen bases over his eight-year career in the KBO.
Hyeseong Kim
Defensively, Kim has played second base, third base, shortstop, and left field in his career. The 2024 season saw Kim exclusively play second base. Kim has won two straight fielding awards at second base.
In the 2022 Asian Games, he won a gold medal for South Korea, hitting .292/.500/.370.
In terms of his fit on the Mets, Kim could provide a low-cost, high-upside super utility player covering three positions on the infield. Kim hasn’t played the outfield since 2020 and, in his career, has logged 19 games at third base. The biggest concern seems to be whether his lack of power makes him unable to be an everyday player since his previous career high in home runs was seven. The Mets could do much worse than securing a 25-year-old with positional versatility and speed who has won multiple KBO Golden Gloves (these are for the overall best player at a position in KBO).
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