When San Diego general manager A.J. Preller sat down with the local media before and after the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings last December, he brought up a topic of interest to everyone. He said he had received trade inquiries from other teams.
While Preller didn’t name any specific teams, the player was relatively clear. Kim Ha-Sung (28), a versatile infielder, and Trent Grisham (27), who primarily plays center field. Preller admitted that he had been contacted about the possibility of trading both players.
Trade discussions happen all the time in Major League Baseball. It’s not uncommon for players to change jerseys at a moment’s notice, depending on the team’s situation. With players of Kim and Grisham’s caliber, it wouldn’t be surprising if San Diego expanded trade discussions to include them. And so did the circumstances. It’s clear why Kim could be a trade chip, and it’s likely that other teams were inquiring about that possibility.
San Diego signed All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who became a free agent during the offseason, to an 11-year, $280 million contract. With Bogaerts at shortstop, it would have seemed that Kim would have been a spare card for an established shortstop. With Fernando Tatis Jr. moving to the outfield, Grisham could have been considered a “trade target” as well.
When the news broke, local media theorized all sorts of possible scenarios. Teams in need of a shortstop became partners in this scenario. Atlanta, who lost Dansby Swanson to the Chicago Cubs in free agency, Boston, who didn’t have a starting shortstop for the immediate future, and finally the Los Angeles Dodgers, who lost their starting shortstop when Gavin Lux suffered a knee injury.
San Diego was in need of more starting pitching at the time, so it was speculated by local media that they might be open to a trade if a team 안전놀이터 was willing to give up a starter and take Kim. However, Kim is still in the San Diego lineup today. Whether there was no interest or the cards were not in the right place, there was no trade, and San Diego is reaping the rewards.
Ha-Sung Kim is the starting second baseman. The team moved Jake Cronenwirth, their regular second baseman, to first base to make room. His performance has been outstanding. His league-leading defensive numbers have been highlighted many times. It’s almost painful to say more. He’s also stolen 11 bases already, which is in line with the recent trend of “running the bases” in Major League Baseball.
His offense was lackluster at the start of the season, but since May, he’s been overcoming that and improving his numbers. As of Sept. 9, Kim is batting .246 with five home runs, 19 RBIs, and an OPS of .722 in 58 games this season. That’s better than last year’s OPS (.708) and right in line with league average. He contributes to the team offensively, defensively, and on the bases.
His versatility is unmatched, as he can play multiple positions at a high level. When Manny Machado went down with an injury, he played third base, and now with Xander Bogaerts’ injury, he’s at shortstop. Wherever he plays, his defense is above average. It’s hard to find an infielder like him in the league.
In the meantime, Kim’s value is skyrocketing. His Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is one of the highest of any outfielder on the team. His trade value has skyrocketed from last winter, and so has his salary. Perhaps in San Diego, Ha-Sung Kim is now “unsellable”. That’s because it’s harder to acquire a player like this than it is to find a starter. The original decision not to trade Kim paid off in a big way.