The stars are aligning for the SF Giants to sign speedy shortstop

The SF Giants are still technically in playoff contention, but their mediocre play does not inspire much confidence for their chances. Turning towards the offseason, the Giants may be in a prime position to sign shortstop Ha-Seong Kim.

Kim is having a bit of an odd season for the San Diego Padres. He is slashing .233/.330/.370 which is a bit down from his 2023 numbers. He also just went on the IL for the first time in his career with a shoulder injury although the injury does not appear to be serious.

Despite this, Kim is likely to draw significant interest on the free agent market this offseason. His contract with the Padres includes a mutual option for next season. This means that he could accept his player option of $7 million or decline it in favor of a $2 million club buyout. A buyout seems like a very likely scenario because Kim can definitely get more than $7 million per year if he tests free agency.

He is not a massive power threat by any means, but he still has power as evidenced by his 17 home runs last season and 11 so far this year. However, his game is really all about his speed and solid defense. Last season Kim stole 38 bases and he has stolen 22 so far this season. The current stolen base leader on the Giants is Tyler Fitzgerald with 16.

The SF Giants should target Ha-Seong Kim in free agency

All of this leads us to why Kim would be an outstanding target for the Giants in free agency. The Giants need more speed and athleticism on their roster which has been evident for quite some time. Fitzgerald has infused some of that into the lineup, but the Giants could definitely use more. The Giants are 2nd to last in all of MLB with 54 steals.

Shortstop was a revolving door for the Giants this season until Fitzgerald came in and started hitting home runs seemingly every day, but Kim would do a lot to stabilize the position next season as he is currently 12th in Statcast's Outs Above Average ranking for MLB shortstops. Do not fret, though. Fitzgerald could just slide over to second base so the Giants could keep his bat and speed in the lineup going forward.

Plus, there is the fact that Kim is good friends with Jung Hoo Lee as the two were teammates in the KBO. Reuniting the two would potentially help Lee transition to MLB even more since his first season was essentially lost due to his shoulder injury. Just imagine Lee and Kim at the top of the lineup next season and the havoc they could wreak on the bases with their speed.

Also, remember that Giants manager Bob Melvin coached Kim in San Diego and has had nothing but praise for the versatile infielder. Reuniting with Lee and Melvin could be a big draw for the Giants in their pursuit of Kim.

We know that it is almost impossible for the Giants to sign a premier power bat in free agency. That is why they need to double down on speed going forward. The stars are aligning for Kim to become a free agent which would allow the Giants to sign him and become an offense more focused on speed while also adding a very capable shortstop to the team.