"Without Otani, Kim Hye-sung would not be recruited," he rejected a huge offer from the Dodgers and Angels over money
"Without Otani, Kim Hye-sung would not be recruited," he rejected a huge offer from the Dodgers and Angels over money
Blog Article
The decisive factor in Kim Hye-sung's contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers is Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers' media outlet Dodger Nation reported on the 4th (Korea Standard Time).
According to U.S. media including MLB.COM on the day, Kim has agreed to join the Los Angeles Dodgers for up to 22 million U.S. dollars for three plus two years. The guaranteed contract amounts to 12.5 million dollars for three years and includes an option to extend the two-year contract thereafter.
A CAA Korea official who is in charge of Kim Hye-sung's advance to the Major League said, "Besides the Dodgers, I made a five-year, 28 million-dollar offer for the Los Angeles Angels. There were also offers for the Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres, but the player considered various factors and decided to go to the Dodgers. The existence of Ohtani, who is also a member of the same CAA, also had an impact. Ohtani met Kim Hye-sung in the U.S. and gave him lots of advice. That's why I felt a sense of stability."
"Kim Hye-sung chose the winning team with top players such as Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman over money," Dodger Nation said. "The Dodgers would not have been able to recruit Kim Hye-sung without Ohtani's help."
"The LA Angels proposal was higher than the Dodgers, and the Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs also made a mistake to Kim Hye-sung, but they decided to go to the Dodgers considering various factors," he added.
Ohtani, who brought Kim to the Dodgers, was the first player among Dodgers players to welcome her. She followed Kim and wrote, "Welcome, my friend," in Korean on social media. She also became the first Korean to follow Ohtani.
Meanwhile, Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes recalled that on the day he announced his contract with Kim Hye-sung, he impressed Kim Hye-sung in an exhibition match against Team Korea held at Gocheok Sky Dome in March last year.
First of all, he said, "I'm so happy to have Kim Hye-sung. Kim Hye-sung is a player with good baserunning ability, good defense in various positions, and batting ability," adding, "Our scouts expected him to be posted this year. His dynamic and explosive play against us really stood out. I'm really happy to add a player with that type of athletic ability to the team."
The Dodgers are envisioning next season as shortstop Mookie Betts and second baseman Gavin Lux. Therefore, it is widely expected that Kim will play a utility role for the Dodgers. 안전놀이터
However, some predict that the Dodgers will use Lux as a trade card after acquiring Kim Hye-sung. Lux is an infielder who has proven his batting ability to the extent that he recorded double-digit homers with the 70% OPS last season. When rumors spread during the last season that the Dodgers could use Lux as a trade card, several teams were mentioned as teams that would consider recruiting Lux.
Kim Hye-sung is said to be superior to Lux in defense and baserunning. If Kim Hye-sung becomes the main second baseman, the Dodgers can use Lux as a trade card to strengthen the bullpen.