Hyeseong Kim had been playing professional baseball in South Korea since 2017, but he decided it was time for a new chapter in his career after eight years in the Korea Baseball Organization.
Kim found his new home with the Los Angeles Dodgers when he signed a three-year contract on Jan. 3.
At the time of the signing, the Dodgers already had a starting second baseman in Gavin Lux, but that spot is now up for grabs after he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. Kim figures to be the player the Dodgers believe will fill the role as they have a high opinion of the player he can develop into.
Already an MLB-caliber defender and athlete, the Dodgers also believe that there is room for him to grow offensively, specifically in the slugging department.
When Kim was first posted by the Kiwoom Heroes, L.A. jumped at he opportunity to express their interest, and the Korean native took note of their eagerness to sign him, according to Jee-ho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency:
Kim revealed that the Dodgers were the first team to contact him after he was posted and added, “I was so grateful for that.”
The Dodgers have a strong history of international signings in South Korea with the likes of Chan Ho Park, Hyun-Jin Ryu and others. As a result, Kim had a lot of exposure to the Dodgers as he followed these players’ careers on TV.
It was this exposure that was a motivating factor in Kim’s decision to sign with the Dodgers and why being immediately contacted by them was so meaningful for him.
In addition, Kim also had the opportunity to face the Dodgers in the Seoul Series last year. At the time, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had some praise for him, and he went on to perform well in the games.
Hyeseong Kim sets ‘immediate goal’ for Dodgers Opening Day
Now as the leading candidate to be the starting second baseman, Kim wants to earn that opportunity as quickly as he can and that starts with making the Dodgers’ Opening Day roster for the Tokyo Series in Japan.
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