The Tigers have proven curiosity in infielder Ha-Seong Kim, as associated by the Detroit Free Press’ Evan Petzold in a current look on the Days Of Roar podcast. The Blue Jays, Giants, and Kim’s former crew the Padres have all been publicly related to Kim this offseason, although it’s truthful to guess that San Francisco could also be out of the working after signing Willy Adames.
As lately famous by Anthony Franco in a chunk for MLBTR Entrance Workplace subscribers, Kim is without doubt one of the trickiest gamers to guage inside the 2024-25 free agent class, owing to the shoulder surgical procedure that Kim underwent in late September. Kim will miss a while at first of the 2025 season, although the precise timeline is up within the air — agent Scott Boras mentioned a late-April return is feasible, whereas Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller in October mentioned Kim won’t be prepared till “Could, June, July.” It needs to be famous that Preller was talking broadly on the subject fairly than giving any form of definitive timeline, but even elevating the potential for a three-month vary provides to the uncertainty over Kim’s well being.
Some groups have nonetheless floated the thought of signing Kim to a multi-year contract, although the precise nature of such gives aren’t clear. It will be dangerous to supply Kim one thing like 4 or 5 assured years, however a two-year contract (possible with a participant opt-out after 2025) appears completely believable. Kim and agent Scott Boras may also hunt down a flat one-year cope with the identical concept of Kim attending to rapidly re-enter the market subsequent winter, ostensibly on the heels of a more healthy and productive platform 12 months. MLBTR’s projection of a one-year, $12MM contract for Kim helps this technique, although Boras isn’t any stranger to inventive offers that present his shoppers with loads of flexibility.
A shorter-term contract may need extra enchantment to the Tigers, who’re reportedly searching for out such offers with reference to beginning pitchers. Now that Detroit is coming off a wild card berth and an ALDS look, the expectation has been that possession and president of baseball operations Scott Harris shall be considerably extra aggressive in upgrading on looks as if a profitable core, although the Tigers’ offseason has been fairly quiet to this point, albeit with some rumors of curiosity in Jack Flaherty or Alex Bregman.
From a pure baseball perspective, a wholesome Kim could be a super match for the Tigers in some ways. As Petzold notes, Kim’s velocity and high-contact/low-strikeout strategy tremendously helps a Tigers crew that completed close to the underside of the league in OBP and stolen bases, plus Kim’s right-handed bat provides steadiness to Detroit’s lefty-heavy lineup. Kim can also be a robust defensive participant at a number of infield positions, so he may handle the crew’s wants at both third base or shortstop.
Javier Baez remains to be technically the incumbent beginning shortstop, however his inventory is at an all-time low after three more and more poor seasons in Detroit and a hip surgical procedure that ended his 2024 marketing campaign in August. Baez remains to be owed $73MM by way of the 2027 season, and because the Tigers would simply be consuming the cash anyway in releasing him, the crew may as effectively give Baez one other likelihood at first of the season to see if his surgical procedure has maybe corrected any of the well being points that led to his dropoff in manufacturing.
Trey Sweeney stepped into the shortstop function after Baez’s season ended prematurely, and Sweeney performed effectively sufficient to place himself into the dialog for extra common taking part in time as effectively. If the Tigers signed Kim, Detroit may simply follow Baez and Sweeney at shortstop till Kim is able to play, after which consider whether or not Kim may simply take over at shortstop, or maybe play third base if Baez or Sweeney are having productive seasons.
