The Los Angeles Dodgers bolstered their middle infield by signing Hyeseong Kim to a three-year, $12.5 million contract that includes a two-year team option for the 2028 and 2029 seasons.
Kim joins the Dodgers after spending the last eight seasons in the Korean Baseball League. He played six of those with the Kiwoom Heroes and won three KBO Fielding Awards from 2021-2023 while playing four different positions.
Kim was originally projected to fill a utility role with the Dodgers but he is now in line to receive plenty of opportunities at second base following Gavin Lux being traded to the Cincinnati Reds.
Kim said his main focus is on making the Dodgers’ Opening Day roster for the Tokyo Series in Japan, via Yoo Jee-ho of Yonhap News Agency:
“The Dodgers are a great team, and I grew up watching them play quite a bit because of Korean players there,” Kim told reporters at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, before heading to the team’s spring training site in Arizona. “It will be an honor to make my major league debut with the club I watched on television. I want to make it happen as quickly as I can. My immediate goal is to make the Opening Day roster.”
Kim’s contract with the Dodgers reportedly does not include the right to reject a Minor League assignment, which could come into play at some point during the 2025 season.
This was likely worked in to help the Dodgers manage their depth over the course of the year. However, the recent trade of Lux alleviated a bit of a logjam and should give Kim a clear path to a spot on the Opening Day roster.
If he struggles at any point during the season, the Dodgers will have the luxury of sending Kim to the Minors without needing to place him on waivers.
Hyeseong Kim explains decision to sign with Dodgers
Kim added to the Dodgers’ list of international signings in South Korea, joining the likes of Chan Ho Park, Hyun-Jin Ryu and prospect Hyun-Seok Jang, among others.
Kim cited that history and the chance to win a World Series as key reasons behind his decision to sign with the Dodgers.
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