Following a 2020 campaign that was anything but normal, Major League Baseball now continues to progress early into the offseason. With it comes a few normalcies, including the practically yearly event of international player postings.
Recently, news on that front came as KBO (Korean Baseball Organization) team the Kiwom Heroes are reportedly set to post star shortstop Kim Ha-Seong.
The Process
As noted by Jeeho Yoo, Ha-Seong will be posted Wednesday, Nov. 25. The Kiwoom Heroes will first ask the KBO to inform MLB which then will turn into a notification to all 30 clubs of Ha-Seong’s availability. Then a 30-day negotiating window will then start beginning at 8 a.m. The window will officially close at 5 p.m. on the 30th day which will conclude just shy of Christmas day.
A big number to note throughout this process is 25 million. Should Ha-Seong sign for $25 million or less, the Heroes will be entitled to 20 percent of the contract as a transfer fee. If Ha-Seong signs for more than $25 million but less than $50 million, the fee will be 20 percent on the first $25 million and 17.5 percent on any amount exceeding that.
#KBO news: Kiwoom Heroes will post shortstop Kim Ha-seong on Wednesday. They’ll first ask KBO to inform MLB, which will then notify its 30 clubs of Kim’s availability. It will open a 30-day negotiating window (8 a.m. ET the morning after to 5 p.m. ET on 30th day)
— Jeeho Yoo (@Jeeho_1) November 24, 2020
The Hunt
The hunt for Kim Ha-Seong’s services is well warranted with a player who slashed .306/.397/.523. He tied for ninth among KBO hitters with 30 home runs across the 2020 season. His on-base percentage (.397), slugging percentage (.523), and OPS (.921) all marked career highs. Ha-Seong also produced career highs in total bases (279) and walks with 75. He scored 111 total runs through 138 games played.
Ha-Seong could be a very tantalizing player for teams a few years away from contention along with those already poised for postseason pushes in 2021. Ha-Seong has mainly played shortstop and third but his potential is all over. That includes across the infield and as a super-utility infielder. All that adds to the potential value for Ha-Seong and his presence could slow down the third-base and second-base free-agent markets this offseason.
Right now, the Toronto Blue Jays are the team with the most amount of talk surrounding Ha-Seong. They were one of the teams that had a close eye on Ha-Seong prior to posting.
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