San Diego’s Ha-Sung Kim (29) returns to shortstop. He’ll start the season switching spots with superstar Xander Bogaerts (32).
Kim’s return to shortstop is a multi-faceted move. It’s not only about maximizing the team’s power for the immediate future, but also about the future of the team.
San Diego manager Mike Shields announced the move on Sunday, saying, “Kim won the National League Gold Glove for utility last year. He understands that playing shortstop will help the team,” said Boharts.
Boharts is one of the best shortstops in all of Major League Baseball (MLB), but his defense has been below average. In his 11 years at shortstop, he had a cumulative OAA (Outs Above Average) of -31 and a cumulative DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) of -54. OAA is a metric that measures how many outs a player makes compared to average, and DRS is a metric that measures how many runs he prevents compared to average. Zero is the average for both. After just three seasons of playing all over the infield, Kim has already accumulated an OAA of 7 and a DRS of 22.
San Diego has added a slew of big-name free agents each offseason in recent years, but the results have been disappointing: outfielder Juan Soto left for the New York Yankees, and closer Josh Hader went to Houston. It’s a situation where you have to make the most of what you have. The position swap between Kim and Boharts is the first step. San Diego is counting on Kim”s defensive abilities. At the same time, they’re hoping that Boharts, who has been relieved of his defensive duties, will be able to do more at the plate. Last season, his first year in San Diego, Bochart hit .285 with a .790 OPS. That’s not bad, but it’s a disappointing number considering his 11-year, $280 million contract.
Returning Kim to shortstop is also a move for the future of the organization. Kim’s four-year, $28 million contract with San Diego ends this season. He has a mutual option for next year, but it’s unlikely he’ll pick it up. He’s likely to get a much better deal in free agency. It’s unclear if San Diego, which is in “austerity mode,” will be able to hold onto Kim. It’s still possible that the Padres could trade him to another team before the July trade deadline.
If you have to sell Kim Ha-Sung, you should sell him for as much as possible. “Shortstop Kim Ha Sung” is obviously more valuable than “Second baseman Kim Ha Sung”. Aside from catcher, shortstop is the most defensive position in the field. Shortstops who can also 카지노 play offense are a scarce resource in MLB. Last year, the average OPS of big league shortstops was just .703. That’s the second-lowest OPS among all positions after catcher (0.695).
Kim’s return to shortstop could be a logical move to clear up the Yasoo lineup. Jackson Merrill (21), a highly touted prospect at shortstop, is waiting to make his debut. He is the 12th-best prospect in the league and the No. 2 prospect in San Diego, according to MLB.com. From the time the Padres signed Bocharz, it was widely expected that he would eventually move to second base. That’s because Merrill is the future of San Diego.
For Kim, returning to shortstop is obviously good news. Last season, Kim hit .260 with a .749 OPS. His wRC+, which is based on a scale of 100, was 112. That’s good for eighth overall among all shortstops in the league. Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (24), who ranks just above him with a wRC+ of 115, recently signed a massive 11-year, $288.8 million contract. If Kim can produce as much offense at shortstop this season as he did last season, his value in free agency could be astronomical.
