'Right Shoulder Surgery' Kim Ha-seong... US Media "Contract Will Change Depending on Team's Evaluation"
Return to Action Expected to Take Approximately Six Months
Kim Ha-seong (San Diego Padres), who missed the final games of the season due to a shoulder injury and underwent surgery, is expected to need about six months to return to active play.
Yonhap News, citing the local newspaper San Diego Union-Tribune, reported on the 13th (Korean time) that "Kim Ha-seong aims to play games around mid-April or May next year."
Kim Ha-seong is expected to enter the free agent (FA) market this winter. On the same day, MLB Trade Rookies stated, "How teams evaluate Kim Ha-seong's shoulder condition is crucial," adding, "If they believe Kim Ha-seong can fully recover within the first couple of months of the season, the injury will not significantly affect contract demand."
There is also analysis suggesting that Kim Ha-seong's market value may decline. The media analyzed, "(Kim Ha-seong) may have to consider a short-term contract due to a drop in market value," and noted, "Some of Scott Boras's clients signed two-year contracts with opt-out clauses while undergoing rehabilitation."
Recently, Kim Ha-seong, considering entering the FA market, has teamed up with Scott Boras. Boras is a super agent known as the 'devil' to teams and the 'angel' to players. He has secured major contracts for numerous Korean Major Leaguers such as Park Chan-ho, Ryu Hyun-jin, Choo Shin-soo, and Lee Jung-hoo.
Meanwhile, Kim Ha-seong signed a 4+1 year contract worth up to $39 million (approximately 52.5 billion KRW) with San Diego through the posting system before the 2021 season. After this season, he will qualify as a free agent (FA) and can enter the FA market.
According to the mutual option for the 2025 season with San Diego, Kim Ha-seong can choose to stay for the next season with a salary of $8 million (approximately 1.08 billion KRW), but it is highly likely that he will enter the FA market aiming for a major contract.
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Kim Ha-seong injured his shoulder sliding during a first base pick-off attempt in the game against the Colorado Rockies on August 19 this year. After signaling for a substitution on the bench, he left the field. Later, San Diego manager Mike Shildt said, "Kim Ha-seong's MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) results were positive." However, as his condition did not improve over time, he eventually underwent labrum repair surgery performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache on the 11th of this month.
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