Ha Seong Kim represents one of the biggest risk-reward plays of this year's free agent class. That didn't seem to be the case in August. For most of the season, Kim's profile was focused on stability. He wasn't much of a threat offensively, but his outstanding defense at shortstop and league-average hitting gave him a strong outfield. Kim hadn't been on the injured list since transferring from Korea, so durability was one of his biggest selling points.
That changed on August 18th. Kim dove awkwardly back to first base on a pickoff attempt. He strained his right shoulder and went on the IL. The Padres initially characterized the injury as inflammation and expressed hope he would be back within a few weeks. Kim did not return and underwent a labrum repair at the end of the season.
Kim's return timeline is uncertain, as is his value as a free agent. It seems clear he won't be ready for Opening Day. Beyond that, not much is known. Agent Scott Boras said the 29-year-old will be ready at the start of the 25 season. AJ Preller, the Padres' president of baseball operations, was a little more unclear, saying last month that it could be any time “May, June, July.” It's difficult to predict Kim's market when there is such a large variation in his return schedule. This is confirmed by the extreme range of contract forecasts before the offseason.
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