"Kim Ha-sung feels like a question of when to sign, not 'Should I sign with the San Francisco Giants?'"

A local media outlet in the United States drew attention by claiming that San Francisco and "Awesome Kim" Kim Ha-sung (29) are inevitable.토토사이트

"Around Poghorn" of the U.S., which mainly deals with San Francisco news, said on the 13th (Korea time), "San Francisco is aiming to recruit shortstop this winter. It will be connected to one of the best shortstop in the FA market, Kim Ha-sung. Why did they choose shortstop who showed a smooth defense?" he/she expressed his/her curiosity.

Kim Ha-sung recently turned down the 8 million-dollar mutual option in 2025 with the San Diego Padres, and became a free agent. He has a batting average of 0.242 (418 hits in 1725 at-bats), 47 homers, 200 RBIs, 229 runs and 78 steals in 540 games for the past four years at the San Diego Padres, and a 0.326 on-base hit rate of 0.38 OPS of 0.706.

Kim Ha-sung's biggest advantage is that the shortstop is above average anywhere in the infield. In fact, he was recognized for his defensive ability by being among the three finalists for the National League Gold Glove Shortstop in 2022, and his value soared as he won the Gold Glove Award in the utility category in 2023.

"Around Poghorn" said, "Kim Ha-sung is not suitable for the expression of a superstar, but he has been a player who has shown a solid career for four years," adding, "In some ways, Kim Ha-sung and San Francisco have a sense of fate as if it was clearly revealed between Matt Chapman and San Francisco last offseason. Kim Ha-sung was confident in going to San Francisco, saying, "It feels like a matter of when to sign a contract," not "Shall I sign with the San Francisco Giants?"

In the meantime, he cited three reasons why Kim Ha-sung could choose San Francisco. The first was his relationship with Lee Jung-hoo (26) in the KBO League. Kim Ha-sung has been a close friend of Lee Jung-hoo and the Kiwoom Heroes for four years, and it was Kim Ha-sung who helped Lee the most when he advanced to the Major League. "Around Poghorn" said, "Maybe the strongest link is the KBO. When Lee Jung-hoo signed a six-year, 113 million-dollar contract with San Francisco, there are speculations that Kim Ha-sung will come if he becomes an FA. Having a teammate who has played with him in the KBO will help him adjust."

The second was his relationship with San Francisco coach Bob Melvin. "Melvin has been a coach for more than 20 seasons and has built many connections. He has worked with Kim for two years in San Diego," the former coach said. "Melvin often spoke positively of Kim Ha-sung even after he took the helm of San Francisco, and so did Kim. Melvin is also famous for taking good care of players in the Pacific Rim. The mood between Melvin and Kim Ha-sung feels similar, just like when Chapman was a student at Oakland."

Finally, he mentioned that San Francisco is looking for a shortstop as a priority. "San Francisco definitely needs a shortstop. President Buster Posey said they will be looking for a shortstop, which means Tyler Fitzgerald is not a shortstop."

This year, San Francisco was agonizing over its position as a shortstop. It started out as Nick Ahmed (34), a veteran shortstop, but began to give promising players a chance due to his poor performance. Tyler Fitzgerald, a utility player who can eventually reach the outfield, received the most opportunities with 72 games and 594 innings, but there was no sense of stability in defense. Posey once said, "It would be great if we could get a shortstop. Fitzgerald did really well as a shortstop last season, but I think he's worth it in other positions as well. I think it's more appropriate to play second base in the long run."

"Around Poghorn" mentioned Kim Ha-sung's shoulder surgery in October, but said, "Kim Ha-sung showed relatively strong shoulders during his career, which is the core of a good shortstop. Since he had shoulder surgery, he has to show that his strong shoulders are back to normal. "If he has a good performance after the first season with an opt-out opportunity, he can get a bigger salary as an FA."

In San Francisco, Kim Ha-sung's position was regarded as a shortstop unconditionally. "Kim Ha-sung recorded strong defensive indicators of +24 DRS (Defensive Run Saved) as a shortstop, +11 OAA (Outs Above Average) and +8 FRV (Fielding Run Value). This is much better than the -11 DRS, -3 OAA, and -2 FRV that San Francisco's shortstop showed this year," he said. "It was one of the many problems of San Francisco."