Negative on early return? Kim Ha-sung said, "It will return as early as the end of April, hitting will begin."
Negative on early return? Kim Ha-sung said, "It will return as early as the end of April, hitting will begin."
Blog Article
"It's coming back as early as the end of April. The ball-throwing and hitting has already started."스포츠토토
U.S. media and some officials diagnosed Kim Ha-sung (Tempah Bay) with a negative view on his early return from injury this season. He sent a question mark over his future in the free agent transfer market. Contrary to such a view, however, Kim Ha-sung was already taking steps to make a speedy return.
The Tampa Bay Rays of the U.S. Major League Baseball announced the official contract on the 4th (Korea Standard Time), saying, "I signed a two-year contract with Kim Ha-sung for up to 31 million dollars (about 42.5 billion won). Whether or not to fulfill the contract in the 2026 season includes an opt-out clause that the player chooses."
Tempa Bay then held a video press conference and more than 20 media participated in the event. Kim Ha-sung appeared remotely with Eric Niender (41), president of the Tampa Bay baseball team, to reveal his background to joining Tempa Bay, his aspirations for this season and his current status.
"Our team showed early interest in Kim Ha-sung as soon as the transfer market opened. After I was sure what Kim Ha-sung would look like in our team through rehabilitation and recovery, I joined him," said Niedder, president of the Tampa Bay baseball team, who led Kim Ha-sung's recruitment, expressing his joy in recruiting Kim Ha-sung.
"Those who have watched Kim Ha-sung play for several years in San Diego must have known that he is a tremendously talented player," Nieder said, adding, "I am proud to have brought a player who can help the team win in various ways. Although the opening game will not be together, I hope we don't wait too long."
Kim Ha-sung, who immediately took over the microphone, said, "I'm really looking forward to joining the team (Tempa Bayran). Thank you (for) giving me a good contract even though I had an injury. I will do my best to prepare hard and win the World Series."
As Kim Ha-sung won the Gold Glove in the National League Utility category and posted a career-high performance in the 2023 season, many U.S. media began to pick him as a preliminary $100 million FA candidate. However, Kim Ha-sung showed a somewhat disappointing performance last year compared to 2023, and he injured his shoulder at the end of the season and went to the operating table.
In the end, chances are high that the total contract amount or size will decrease immediately. However, Kim Ha-sung did not choose to remain in the FA market by executing a mutual option (worth 8 million U.S. dollars) with the San Diego Padres.
However, the destination was rarely determined so that the years had changed. In the end, the media began to predict that the next best option would be to sign a short-term contract of about a year or a small long-term contract of about 3-4 years.
However, Kim Ha-sung's final contract was a two-year contract that overturned all these expectations. This is also a contract that has an opt-out after the end of the season, which includes an annual salary of 13 million U.S. dollars this year and incentives worth 2 million dollars. It is a de facto one-plus-one-year contract in which he can receive up to 15 million dollars this year and 16 million dollars if he does not opt-out next year.
In fact, Kim Ha-sung chose to re-run the FA, but if his performance did not meet expectations in the aftermath of his injury this year, he also had insurance that could challenge him for another year. In the current situation, Kim Ha-sung has virtually made the best choice he can make.
The team was also unexpected. Tampa Bay has been running the club with a small budget while pursuing low-cost, high-efficiency teams, and spends the highest annual salary ever on Kim Ha-sung. With his annual salary of 13 million U.S. dollars alone, excluding actual incentives, Kim Ha-sung became the highest paid person in Tampa Bay this year.
"I made the decision without difficulty because Tampa Bay offered me a contract. It's an honor to join such a good team. I'm also grateful to (agent) Scott Boras for helping me get such a good contract with such a good team," Kim said, explaining why he chose Tampa Bay.
As a person, Kim Ha-sung did not feel much anxious, contrary to the outside gaze. "The delay in the contract was not a problem for me at all," Kim Ha-sung said. "Because I am in a situation where I am rehabilitating, I did not amortize much about the timing of the contract and focused on rehabilitation, believing that Boras would do well."
Some media predicted that Kim Ha-sung's early return would be difficult, borrowing from the leaders of the San Diego team, Kim Ha-sung's former team. These were negative prospects that they expected to contribute less this season.
In the end, the key to re-recovering the FA is expected to be how he will return to the team at some point. Kim Ha-sung said, "The surgery went so well. I am going smoothly as scheduled for my rehabilitation. I am in good condition. I think I need to return as soon as possible because I started throwing and hitting the ball," adding, "I want to continue talking with the team and make a comeback as soon as possible in a healthy time. I think I will be able to return as early as late April or early May."
On the background of choosing No. 7, Kim Ha-sung said, "No. 7 is a really good number. It means a lot because I always wear this number. I think it's a number that suits me well," signaling the start of the new Tampa Bay No. 7 with a bright expression.