What happens if Kim Ha-sung (San Diego Padres) hits more than 20 home runs this season?
Kim Ha-sung signed a four-year, $28 million contract with San Diego in 2021. As a result, the contract was “forgotten.”
At that time, Kim Ha-sung had a situation that he could only receive like that. In 2020, the Corona 19 incident broke out, and the Major League only played 60 games. Clubs suffered huge deficits. The FA market had no choice but to freeze. Kim Ha-sung was a victim of the Corona 19 incident.
However, the 2022 FA market has regained momentum. The FA market started a bit late due to the breakdown of collective agreement negotiations, but the FA market got a boost, with the Texas Rangers investing more than 500 million U.S. dollars.
The 2023 FA market was not bad either. The New York Yankees invested $360 million in Aaron Judge.
However, the 2024 FA market is frozen. Although the Los Angeles Dodgers invested more than 1 billion dollars in Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, that was all. The rest of the clubs did not release their wallets. This is because their income will decline due to problems with local broadcasts.
MLB officials, however, predict that the 2025 FA market will boom again. It is worth noting that Scott Boras customers sign short-term contracts that include opt-out clauses every year. He intends to promote next year.
Therefore, Kim Ha-sung is expected to receive four years of undervalued compensation.
On top of that, the size of Juan Soto’s contract could affect Kim’s ransom. Yamamoto was the biggest beneficiary of Ohtani’s 700 million dollar contract.
Kim’s value is also certain to be higher on the defensive end. This is because he is a super utility man who can see shortstop, second base, and third base. This was demonstrated by winning the Gold Glove in the 2023 National League Utilities category.
Currently, there are players who can see shortstop and second baseman in the Major League, but few can even play third baseman. In other words, Kim Ha-sung is playing the role of three.
If he combines power with this, his value can be evaluated as the best utility man in the history of the Major League Baseball.
This is why a total of $200 million is not a waste for the club.
BY: 안전 토토사이트