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'Ha-seong is a player that can help you win in a variety of ways'

Published: 04 Feb. 2025, 14:07

Erik Neander, Tampa Bay Rays president of baseball operations, during a season ending baseball news conference, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Florida. [AP/YONHAP]

When pursuing Korean free agent shortstop Kim Ha-seong, the Tampa Bay Rays brass didn't just consider the player.

They also looked at how Kim, who came to be known as an intense, all-out player during his four years with the San Diego Padres, could augment the Rays' competitive culture.

Erik Neander, president of baseball operations for the Rays, said Tuesday Kim is a perfect fit.

"I think getting our competitive culture as strong as possible is always important. I think it's particularly important when you're facing some of the challenges and disruption that we are right now," Neander said in a Zoom press conference with the Korean and U.S. media, held after the Rays announced their two-year deal with Kim.

Neander was referring to the Rays having to play their home games at a minor league ballpark after their home stadium, Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, was damaged by Hurricane Milton in October.

"I believe there's an opportunity here to galvanize our group around our circumstances and take players that are made the right way to achieve that. And Ha-seong absolutely fits in that regard," Neander said.

Neander said his staff worked around the majors to learn more about Kim as a teammate and a person, and he also heard from current and former Rays players about the Korean star. One of the Rays' original greats, Evan Longoria, "spoke so highly of Ha-seong," Neander said.

Of course, the Rays wouldn't have signed Kim if they didn't like what he can also bring to the field. Even though Kim will miss the early portion of the season as he recovers from a shoulder surgery done in October, the Rays still made him their highest-paid player for 2025 at $13 million. If Kim doesn't opt out after this year, he will make $16 million next year.

Kim won the National League Gold Glove at the utility position in 2023, and has handled second base, third base and shortstop positions. The Rays have designs on Kim as their primary shortstop this year.

"For those that have watched him in San Diego the last few years, you've seen an incredibly talented player that has helped that ball club win in a variety of ways," Neander said. "As talented as he is, he's also a lot of fun to watch, an incredibly entertaining player as evidenced by his immense popularity in San Diego."

Kim Ha-seong enters the field ahead of Game 2 of the Seoul Series between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers at Gocheok Sky Dome in western Seoul on March 21, 2024. [YONHAP]

Kim hit a career-high 17 home runs in 2023 and had 11 homers last year. He was a 30-homer slugger in the KBO and can be counted on for double figures in home runs, along with a few doubles and steals thanks to his speed.

"Ha-seong is a player that can help you win in a variety of ways," Neander said. "Any given night, to win a one- or two-run game, you've got to do something different to find a way to get it done. And if you have players that are versatile, it can help you in a lot of ways and increase your chances of doing just that."

Neander noted that Kim, along with the Rays' earlier free agent signing, catcher Danny Jansen, will make the team "meaningfully stronger offensively" and also give them "really good defense and athleticism" up the middle.

Neander admitted that the Rays are taking on "a little bit of risk" because of Kim's injury situation. But once he got more clarity on Kim's rehab with information from his medical staff and Kim's agent, Scott Boras, getting to the right price range was "pretty easy."

Kim Ha-seong enters free agency after leaving the San Diego Padres and signs a two-year contract with the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday. [NEWS1]

"We expressed interest very early on in Ha-seong Kim before we really knew what 2025 was going to look like for us. And over months of gaining certainty on that as well as Ha-seong's rehab and recovery, we eventually reached this point of bringing him in. We couldn't be more excited," Neander said.

"While he won't be ready for Opening Day with us, the wait hopefully shouldn't be too long before we get to enjoy him ourselves and ideally at a point where we're off to a great start and proving that we're going to be in contention for a postseason opportunity and more."

Yonhap