Korean infielder Hyeseong Kim has reportedly returned to Korea without securing a deal, though he did receive offers from five teams, including the San Diego Padres.
Kim traveled to Los Angeles on Nov. 29 to train and prepare for the posting process with assistance from his American agency, Creative Artists Agency (CAA).
However, he returned home on Dec. 23 without a deal, and there was minimal buzz surrounding the 25-year-old during his time in the U.S.
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According to a Kiwoom Heroes official, Kim’s return was driven by his military obligations.
Although he earned an exemption by winning gold at the 2023 Asian Games, he must still complete 544 hours of community service over 34 months in lieu of active duty. After finishing a three-week basic training program in November, athletes in his situation are only allowed to stay overseas for limited periods.
Kim was posted for MLB teams on Dec. 4 following the 2024 season with the Kiwoom Heroes in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). Under the agreement between the KBO and MLB, posted players have 30 days to negotiate a deal, or they must return to the KBO for another season.
Kim’s deadline to finalize a contract is 2 p.m. PST on Friday or 7 a.m. Saturday in Korea. If a deal isn’t reached, he won’t be eligible for posting again until Nov. 1, 2025.
However, after another season in the KBO, Kim will become a free agent and won’t need to go through the posting process to reach the majors.
Kim had a stellar 2024 season, setting career highs with 11 home runs, 75 RBIs, and a .458 slugging percentage. He hit .326, marking his fourth straight .300 season, and stole 30 bases, extending his streak of 20-plus steals to seven consecutive years.
Since debuting in the KBO in 2017, Kim has accumulated a .306/.364/.403 career line with 211 steals — the most in the KBO since 2018.
The Padres are in search of another starting middle infielder because of the expected departure of Ha-Seong Kim and hesitancy to start Xander Bogaerts at shortstop. Hyeseong is known for his defense and primarily plays second base, but has experience at shortstop and third base.
