Reporter Kim Joo-hee = Kim Ha-seong (28, San Diego Padres), who is again in the position of a ‘challenger’, is heading to the United States.

Kim Ha-seong departs for the United States via Incheon International Airport on the 27th.

Ha-seong Kim, who returned to Korea in early November of last year after finishing his second season in the big leagues, took a break for about three months.

Now is the time to stand on the starting line again.

Last year, Ha-seong Kim met his expectations in his second season in the major leagues.

Just before the opening, he played the role of a substitute player perfectly as the main shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. left.

He served as his primary shortstop and posted a batting average of .251 with 11 homers, 59 RBIs and 12 stolen bases in 150 games. He was given constant chances and showed off his excellent defensive skills. He was even selected as one of three finalists for the Gold Glove National League shortstop category.

He also made a strong impression in his first fall in baseball after entering the big leagues. He played 12 games and had a batting average of only 0.186 (8 hits in 43 at-bats), but was responsible for 8 runs. This is a new club record, surpassing the 7 points set by Tony Gwynn in 1984.

Even after an unforgettable 2022 season, Kim Ha-seong was put to the test once again in the 2023 season.

San Diego signed an 11-year, $280 million (approximately 345.5 billion won) contract with Xander Bogarts in the free agent (FA) market this winter.

As Bogatz, who brought in a large amount of money, took the position of shortstop, Kim Ha-seong’s position change became inevitable.

Locally, along with Kim Ha-sung’s move to second base, the possibility of a platoon being used according to the type of pitcher is being raised. 온라인카지노

That’s why Ha-seong Kim’s position is not secured.

Here, Tatis Jr. will also return for the 2023 season. Tatis Jr., who was suspended for 80 games for taking a banned substance, will miss 20 games of the new season.

Tatis Jr. is expected to be used as an outfielder after returning. However, if he joins and takes a spot in the lineup, Ha-seong Kim, who has weak offensive power, will inevitably narrow his position.

San Diego general manager AJ Preller also mentioned Ha-seong Kim as a trade card.

Since then, as rumors of Kim Ha-sung’s trade have been flowing out, he has started preparing for the new season in a somewhat confusing situation.

It is like starting another competition for survival compared to his 1st and 2nd year.

It is different from the other times when I was only focused on preparing for the season. Kim Ha-seong has been on the Korean baseball team for the World Baseball Classic (WBC) to be held in March.

He must first join the team’s spring camp and then move on to the baseball team’s training ground in early March.

One of the immediate tasks given to Ha-seong Kim is to steadily maintain the condition to survive the competition.