“KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes to post Hyeseong Kim next week”

It is already widely known that the Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization will add an infielder Hyeseong Kim for major league teams this offseason. However, a precise timetable had not yet come into focus. Kim himself told Jee-ho Yoo of South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency (X-Link) that he expects the release to be formalized next week. He plans to travel to the US early next week ahead of the trial.

Kim, who turns 26 in January, has long been considered an interesting addition to the offseason free agent market. The current big leaguer’s former double play partner Ha Seong Kimhe is old enough and has enough experience in the KBO to be considered a “pro” under Major League Baseball’s international free agent parameters. That allows him to sign a major league contract of any length and amount (unlike, say, the NPB star). Roki Sasakilimited to a minor league deal with a bonus that meets the guidelines of MLB’s hard-limited international amateur system).

A left-handed hitter, Kim has been an above-average performer at the top of the KBO in four straight seasons, batting over .300 with an on-base percentage of at least .372 in each of those four seasons. He has little power, but hit a career-best 11 homers last season, including 26 doubles and four triples. However, hitting the ball over the fence was never Kim’s calling card. He has become a KBO star due to his outstanding bat-to-ball skills, speed and good gloves. Over the past four seasons, he has stolen 135 bases in 155 attempts (87.1% success rate) and has lowered his strikeout rate each season, reaching just a 10.9% strikeout rate in 2024.

Overall, Kim had a .321/.381/.418 batting line over the last four seasons, including a .326/.383/.458 batting line last season. He is considered a good defensive second baseman who can handle shortstops and has plenty of experience at both positions. The Mariners have already been linked to Kim, and he should draw some interest from other teams once his free agency begins in earnest. The A’s, Royals, Pirates, Braves, Yankees and Brewers make varying degrees of sense as speculative combinations.

Once the Heroes officially release Kim, a 45-day window opens during which he and his representatives at CAA Baseball can negotiate freely with all 30 major league teams. Any team that signs Kim not only pays the agreed upon guarantee to the player himself, but also a formal posting/release fee to the Heroes. This fee, which is in addition to the contract, is 20% of the first $25 million of the contract, plus 17.5% of the next $25 million and 15% of any additional $25 million. Additional income such as performance bonuses/incentives or option year salaries fall under this purview as soon as they are activated or exercised.