This screen grab from a video on the official YouTube channel of the Kiwoom Heroes shows new Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Kim Hye-seong. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 8 (Korea Bizwire) — Kim Hye-seong, the new South Korean infielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers, says familiarity with the team and their recent World Series title lured him to Chavez Ravine over other places during contract talks.
Kim, formerly an All-Star second baseman with the Kiwoom Heroes in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), signed a three-year deal for US$12.5 million with the Dodgers last Friday. The Dodgers have a club option for two more years that would allow Kim to make up to $22 million total. The deal was signed on the last day of Kim’s 30-day negotiating period, after he was made available for all 30 Major League Baseball (MLB) teams in the posting system.
The Seattle Mariners, the Chicago Cubs, the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Angels also made Kim an offer. According to sources, the Angels would have given Kim a chance to make as much as $28 million over five years, including option years, but Kim decided to sign with the Dodgers instead.
In an interview with the Heroes’ social media team, posted on YouTube Tuesday night, Kim was asked why he chose the Dodgers over other teams.
“There are many reasons but the biggest of them is that they are the Dodgers,” Kim said with a smile. “I was really familiar with the team because I’ve watched so much Dodgers baseball over the years, with Park Chan-ho and Ryu Hyun-jin having played there.”
Park became the first South Korean player in MLB history when he made his debut with the Dodgers in 1994. Ryu pitched for the Dodgers from 2013 to 2019. The success of the two pitchers has helped turn the Dodgers into one of the most popular MLB teams in South Korea.
“Also, they won the World Series title last year,” Kim continued. “My heart leaned toward the Dodgers for these reasons.”
Before getting posted, Kim traveled to Los Angeles in late November to prepare for the process and to train at a facility arranged for him by his U.S. agency, Creative Artists Agency (CAA). And just before getting posted, Kim ran into fellow CAA client and his future teammate, Shohei Ohtani.
“I told him I was going to be posted two days later, and he wished me good luck,” Kim said of his encounter with the reigning National League MVP. “I thanked him for that. And obviously, I didn’t know at the time we were going to be teammates.”
Kim was staying in South Korea while the final details of the contract were being hammered out. He said he had to stay up until 4 a.m. Saturday to stay in contact with his agent and didn’t fall asleep until 5:30 a.m.
He only got a couple of hours of shuteye before waking up to a deluge of messages congratulating him on the deal.
“I’ve never received more messages in my life before,” Kim said with a smile. “And it’s finally dawning on me that I’ve signed with the Dodgers. And I know my fans have been with me through the journey so far, and I will do the best I can in America for those fans.”
(Yonhap)
