Predicting what a Ha-Seong Kim contract could look like for the SF Giants

If there is one free agent that seems most likely to end up with the SF Giants this offseason, it is shortstop Ha-Seong Kim. While it is far from a certainty, it is worth wondering what the Giants could end up signing him for and if they could get a deal.

There are plenty of reasons why the Giants signing Kim would make sense for both sides. For one, newly minted president of baseball operations Buster Posey has spoken bluntly about the team's desire to land a shortstop. Kim would improve the team greatly at short with his above average defense.

Plus, both Posey and manager Bob Melvin have talked about how they hope to be faster, stronger defensively, and better able to score runs in different ways going into 2025. Kim would make them better in all of these respects which makes him a perfect fit. Not to mention the fact that Kim played for Melvin for several years in San Diego so there is a history between them.

Predicting the contract Ha-Seong Kim could sign with the SF Giants

Then there is the fact that Kim is good friends with Jung Hoo Lee, the Giants' center fielder. The two were teammates in South Korea and one can only imagine they would love to reunite as teammates in the states.

While it all makes sense on paper, it will not become a reality unless the two sides can agree on a contract. The fact that Kim is coming off shoulder surgery and seems likely to miss the start of 2025 could affect his market a bit, but the Giants have enough flexibility on their roster to manage a month without Kim at short.

Back in June, Bleacher Report predicted Kim would land a 4-year $68 million contract in free agency. A lot has changed since then injury-wise, but it seems fair to reason that the Giants would have to pay roughly $15-20 million per year to land him.

My expectation is that the Giants would have to sign him to a 4-year deal worth $75 million to get him at $18.75 million per year. That may be seen as an overpay to get a guy with a shoulder injury coming off a bit of a down year, but we know that the Giants often do have to overpay position player free agents because of Oracle Park's reputation as being pitcher-friendly.

I would not expect any opt-outs or chicanery in a deal for Kim with the Giants. Ownership seems fed up with those opt-out-heavy deals and Posey showed his distaste for them as well with the role he played in Matt Chapman's straightforward contract extension towards the end of the 2024 season. The Giants want more of those everyday players they can rely on and market to fans and Kim would definitely qualify.

It would be a fairly large contract, but the deal would make sense for both sides. The Giants would be getting their shortstop of the foreseeable future who would allow them to score runs in different ways on offense and Kim would get to play with a good friend and former manager in a great city.

It all makes sense on paper, but now comes the hard part: getting a deal done.