Why Korean Star Hyeseong Kim Could Be Great Fit for Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates have dipped into the international free agent market for infield help before.

10 years ago, the Pirates signed Jung Ho Kang out of South Korea to a four-year deal. The early return on the deal was positive. Kang helped lead the Pirates to their last postseason appearance after slashing .287/.355/.461 with 24 doubles, 15 home runs, 58 RBIs and finishing third in the Rookie of the Year race in 2015.

Despite off-the-field issues that derailed his career with the Pirates, Kang had two strong seasons in Pittsburgh from 2015-16.

This offseason, there is another coveted infielder from South Korea on the free agent market, and the Pirates again make sense as a potential landing spot.

Hyeseong Kim was posted by the KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes earlier in the winter and is expected to land with a new team by his 5 p.m. ET deadline to sign on Friday.

Though Kim doesn’t have the same power as Kang, he’s a highly-regarded player thanks to his contact skills, speed and defense.

Kim, who turns 26 years old later this month, hit .326 with 26 doubles, four triples, 11 home runs 75 RBIs and 30 steals in 127 games in the KBO last season. In eight seasons in the league, Kim owns a career .304 batting average and has stolen 20-plus bases seven times, including a career-high 46 steals in 2021.

The left-handed hitting Kim has drastically improved some early-career strikeout concerns and went down on strikes in only 11% of his plate appearances in 2024.

Though he’s bounced around the diamond defensively, Kim has extensive experience at both shortstop and second base. For the last few seasons, he’s been a primary second baseman and is considered a plus-defender.

But given his athleticism, the Pirates could give Kim a shot at shortstop, where he’s logged 284 in his career.

Though it may not be the team’s most obvious need in the new year, the Pirates would be wise to add someone who could anchor shortstop in 2025. After Oneil Cruz’s transition to center field, Isiah-Kiner Falefa is penciled in as the Pirates’ everyday shortstop.

Kiner-Falefa has value and started off the 2024 season hot at the plate with the Toronto Blue Jays before scuffling after his trade to Pittsburgh. But Kiner-Falefa’s most valuable attribute is his versatility and locking him in at one position doesn’t make much sense.

If Kim shows he’s capable of handling a premium position like shortstop, the Pirates could wind up with a relatively inexpensive solution. MLB Trade Rumors projects Kim to land a three-year, $24 million contract in free agency. Even by the Pirates’ standards, that’s more than reasonable.

And if he ultimately winds up playing second base, Kim could still be a valuable addition to the roster. Nick Gonzales has shown flashes of strong play but has been a below-league average performer offensively his first two seasons in the big leagues.

Regardless of any hypotheticals on where Kim could wind up defensively, he’s the kind of player the Pirates should always be interested in. Players posted in international free agency as opposed to the traditional free agent market tend to be more cost-effective and still come with upside.

A resolution on Kim’s landing spot will be revealed soon enough, but the Pirates should at least be in the mix.