Ha-Seong Kim Would Tick All The Trade Deadline Boxes for The Brewers

[Jake McKibbin]

Ha-Seong Kim would have been an ideal addition for the Brewers earlier in the season, albeit he has spent a lot of the year on the injured list. Capable of pull side power, Kim's fantastic swing decisions and low strikeout rate would mesh well with the Brewers while also showcasing great defensive grades over the last three seasons.

Kim is being linked with the New York Yankees, who are concerned by the defensive performances of Anthony Volpe in 2025. He's a base-stealing threat and one of the smoothest shortstops in the league, who provides a consistent ~ .700 OPS that marks a substantial upgrade on the output from Joey Ortiz thus far.

He has back tightness at present, and has struggled with injuries this year, which should lower the cost but does present some risk to any acquisition. How much would you give to see the versatile former Padre in the six hole through August and September?

 

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[PBTank]

Seems like a Brewer move. 

[igor67]

With the injury history I think you'd have to bring him in with the idea that you'd have 4 semi regular IF between 3B, SS, and 2B so Ortiz is still probably around as the fall back if he can't go but it's an idea.

[NOMAAM]

16 million player option next year.  Is what I don’t like.

[brewerfan82]

I like the fit on the field, just a little concerned with that salary eating up space for next year. It might be a bit risky for a guy on the wrong side of 30 coming off injuries. That said, maybe additional pieces and money are sent one way or another to make it make sense.

[tmwiese55]

2 minutes ago, NOMAAM said:

16 million player option next year.  Is what I don’t like.

Right, but I also think its what would motivate TB to dump him and keeps his market down so they cannot demand much back in return.  Especially since his remaining 5ish mil this year is wasted money for them since they're giving up and we know how cheap they are

[NOMAAM]

Just now, tmwiese55 said:

Right, but I also think its what would motivate TB to dump him and keeps his market down so they cannot demand much back in return.  Especially since his remaining 5ish mil this year wasted money for them since they're giving up and we know how cheap they are

I’d want them to kick some salary.  They need to see him as a sunk cost.  Owe him near 20 million.  

[wallus]

This is the move. 

[brewerfan82]

1 minute ago, tmwiese55 said:

Right, but I also think its what would motivate TB to dump him and keeps his market down so they cannot demand much back in return.  Especially since his remaining 5ish mil this year is wasted money for them since they're giving up and we know how cheap they are

Unfortunately, I think this is why he's a perfect fit for someone like the Yankees and not so perfect for the Brewers. $16M is a lot to commit to a 100-ish wRC+ guy next year who was injured the first half of the year, came back for two weeks, and is currently back on the IL again. I'd love to add him, just think it's going to take some tinkering with the money to get it done.

[Brewin]

This move would make a lot of sense if you could get TB to kick in $5M or so

[ghostdrew]

If your not spending money on McMahon who is healthy for a guy who isn't and older no way I touch kim

[NOMAAM]

1 minute ago, Brewin said:

This move would make a lot of sense if you could get TB to kick in $5M or so

A bullpen piece as well.  

[wallus]

Kim likely won't pick that up unless he has a major injury. We don't have a ton on the books next year and can afford to take this small gamble.

[NOMAAM]

3 minutes ago, wallus said:

Kim likely won't pick that up unless he has a major injury. We don't have a ton on the books next year and can afford to take this small gamble.

I’d still have them kick in money contingent on him picking up the option.  

[wallus]

1 minute ago, NOMAAM said:

I’d still have them kick in money contingent on him picking up the option.  

Depends on what kind of prospect you want to give up. 

[tmwiese55]

Then they'd likely demand more back in prospects, that's the trade off to decide on.   We lose Hoskins salary next year so our only big commitment is Yelich.  Its for sure a gamble since he's barely played this year, but if he picks up his option it also addresses the obvious offseason need they're going to have (and had this year too but couldn't find someone willing to sign a cost effective enough short term deal).   But yes, 16 mil rather than 10ish is the tough part.   

When I brought it up in the other thread, my assumption was he'd pick up the option due to the lost year, but yea I guess if he comes to us and does well for two months he might opt out.  Which I guess if fine at that price, but if I'm MKE and he comes here stays healthy and plays good D while hitting above like 710 I think I'd rather him pick up the option and have the spot covered for next year. Fills the gap until the big SS prospects should be ready. 

Mentioned in another thread, maybe they find a place to offload Cortez/Hoskins salary to partially pay for this.

[endaround]

If healthy, he's a 3 win player.  Now unless there is something in this new contract (which would be weird as a second contract but could be) he doesn't have enough service time for free agency.  So while he could opt out he still maybe subject to arbitration. Anyway $16 million is providing excess value if Kim is actually healthy.

[wiguy94]

15 minutes ago, endaround said:

If healthy, he's a 3 win player.  Now unless there is something in this new contract (which would be weird as a second contract but could be) he doesn't have enough service time for free agency.  So while he could opt out he still maybe subject to arbitration. Anyway $16 million is providing excess value if Kim is actually healthy.

Kim is not subject to the 6 years of service time to be a FA because he came over as a pro not a prospect. He was a FA last offseason and signed with Tampa

[endaround]

22 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

Kim is not subject to the 6 years of service time to be a FA because he came over as a pro not a prospect. He was a FA last offseason and signed with Tampa

No they still have the same requirements for service time. They just often sign initial contracts in which the team renounces all rights at its conclusion.

[BrewerFan]

On 7/31/2025 at 1:27 PM, endaround said:

No they still have the same requirements for service time. They just often sign initial contracts in which the team renounces all rights at its conclusion.

Wait...I'm not following... I don't think.

Say Imanaga, he has a 20M team option, 15M PO and then those options run out and he'd still have one year of service time.

Are you saying in that first contract, they explicitly decline the right to exercise their right to take him to arbitration? That'd make the most sense, but then... wouldn't that basically be the same as saying 

On 7/31/2025 at 1:02 PM, wiguy94 said:

Kim is not subject to the 6 years of service time to be a FA because he came over as a pro not a prospect. He was a FA last offseason and signed with Tampa

Or you just making that distinction that the highly sought players have that clause written in, it's not automatic? 

 

 

On 7/31/2025 at 12:29 PM, tmwiese55 said:

Fills the gap until the big SS prospects should be ready. 

I know I'm late in this whole thread, but given Pratt is possibly ready late next year, more likely a couple months into '27, it's sure nice that Ortiz APPEARS to be getting back on more solid footing than when this thread was made to bridge that gap himself. 

That was such a black hole at the time. Especially if you bought the poor defensive metrics(which I didn't, but the bat was still so poor, it was ugly). 

[Lathund]

On 8/17/2025 at 5:49 AM, BrewerFan said:

Wait...I'm not following... I don't think.

Say Imanaga, he has a 20M team option, 15M PO and then those options run out and he'd still have one year of service time.

Are you saying in that first contract, they explicitly decline the right to exercise their right to take him to arbitration? That'd make the most sense, but then... wouldn't that basically be the same as saying 

Or you just making that distinction that the highly sought players have that clause written in, it's not automatic? 

It's indeed not automatic, but my impression is that it's included almost every time. Even for guys like Eric Thames, who had like a year worth of service time already when he came back from Korea. Whereas for players signing a minor league deal, which is highly standardized, I believe it's not even an option. 

[BrewerFan]

6 hours ago, Lathund said:

It's indeed not automatic, but my impression is that it's included almost every time. Even for guys like Eric Thames, who had like a year worth of service time already when he came back from Korea. Whereas for players signing a minor league deal, which is highly standardized, I believe it's not even an option. 

Ok... but how do we make that distinction? Ohtani came over as a pro as did Sasaki, but they didn't meet their own standards in Japan to do so without being posted by their teams. 

Similar to...many Cubans who've come over. 

So it has to be more about your status in the league you were in before you came over more than prospect vs pro. He didn't meet the requirements in Japan, so MLB honors that?

Talk about a stupid move BTW. He could have waited a year, gotten... maybe not Yamamoto type money if he had shoulder issues, but more if he didn't and even if he had shoulder injuries, he'd have signed a BIG contract. Likely a 9 figure contract.