With major MLB sides tapping into Asia’s talent pool more than ever this time, the Rays have just made their move. The Tampa Bay Rays reportedly signed the Korean infielder Ha-Seong Kim for two years worth $29 million. A few teams like the Yankees behind Kim, but it was the Rays who had the last laugh. MLB has been tapping into Asia’s talent pool more than ever, and the Rays just made their move. So, what made the Rays go for Kim when they are yet to make a major splash this offseason? 

The Rays have a few gaps to fill and no major signings are done by them yet. They are currently the 17th-ranked team in terms of investing in the free agents with signing only 10 players as of now. Hence, the Rays need versatile players, who can take care of multiple positions and Kim is that versatile player. However, how will Kim bolster their offensive ability, and is the inclusion of Kim enough for their good run this year?

Bolstering offense with Kim

Kim is no new to the MLB circuit and he had debuted in 2021 with the San Diego Padres, where he played till 2024. This means Kim is coming with ample experience and his 2024 season was also worthy enough for the Rays to make a deal. Kim played a total of 121 games in 2024 where he batted .233/.330/.370 with 11 home runs, 47 RBI, and 22 stolen bases. Something to leverage for the Rays! He is also the winner of the Golden Glove, 2023, which proves his value for the Rays this year. 

Before debuting in the MLB, Kim had already played for six years at KBO, where he played for Kiwoom Heroes and got 133 HRs and .292 BA. Starting his baseball career in 2014, Kim is coming to the Rays with a total of ten years of experience, enough to enrich a team like the Rays. Getting Kim for $29 million is also a bargain for the Rays considering Scott Boras was his agent, who is quite infamous for making exorbitant deals. If the prediction is true, Kim is going to overshoot his career highs in these two years with the Rays. How? 

For the unversed, the Rays are going to play their home matches at George M. Steinbrenner Field, the minor league ground for the Yankees due to their home ground getting damaged by Hurricane Milton. Ha-Seong Kim is getting a huge chance to improve his offensive numbers playing at a minor league park. With all these positives coming up with Kim, the Rays should be careful about his injury-ridden last season as he is now making a comeback after his shoulder injury and his post-injury season will start with the Rays.

Strategic opportunities ahead 

Getting Kim to the team has solved a few gaps for the Rays but now the question is; are the Rays all ready then to field a contending team this year? No, not yet! The Rays solved their catcher issue by landing Jansen and now the addition of Kim can solve their offense to a certain extent. For the unversed, the Rays scored only 604 runs in 2024 so, the combination of Ha-Seong Kim and Jonny DeLuca can solve the issue a bit. It would still take a lot for the Rays to contend for their first-ever World Series title.

The addition of Kim and Jansen is the start of the process and more to go before fielding a contending team. The Rays still hold an unwanted record of not getting any World Series in their history, and their recent signings are pointing to their owner’s willingness to rewrite it. This might take time but continuous effort of getting proven talents can yield the desired result. The versatility of Kim will fill their gap at shortstop and infield and more such players need for the remaining positions. 

Hence, it would be better to term the addition of Kim as the Rays’ resurgence journey, rather than terming their team ready to contend. The stage is now set for a new compelling chapter of the Rays and fans are eager to see how Kim can help them rewriting the history. 

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