SF Giants can still make a play for speedy middle infielder in free agency

The SF Giants were heavily connected to free agent shortstop Ha-Seong Kim prior to signing Willy Adames to the largest contract in franchise history. Kim is still available though, so the Giants could conceivably make a play for him.

There was so much speculation surrounding Kim and the Giants because of his friendship with Giants center fielder Jung Hoo Lee and the fact that he played for Giants manager Bob Melvin when Melvin was the manager of the San Diego Padres.

Beyond personal connections, Kim also has a skillset that would be welcome on the Giants. He is a very solid defender up the middle and he also has impressive speed, stealing 22 bases in the 2024 season.

SF Giants can still make a play for Ha-Seong Kim

The one big question mark with him is regarding the shoulder injury he suffered in 2024 that required surgery. Shoulder injuries can be tricky so no one fully knows what Kim will look like as he tries to come back from this injury that figures to keep him on the injured list for most of the first half of the 2025 season.

But this is all just a moot point because the Giants have their shortstop of the future in Willy Adames, right? Well, maybe not.

Kim has still yet to sign with a team, and the Giants could still make a play for him. Obviously, he cannot play shortstop for the team with Adames there, but he could play second base, a position he has experience at in the past, once he returns from injury. Tyler Fitzgerald could fill in at second base while Kim is on the mend.

The one downside of a move like this would be if Fitzgerald played really well in the first half of the season as the starting second baseman. If he were to prove that 2024 was not a fluke and showed that he could be a key piece of the team going forward then having Kim return from injury would create an awkward situation where they may not have anywhere to play him, assuming everyone else in the infield stays healthy.

Yet, having Kim as an insurance policy at second base may not be a bad strategy. Fitzgerald could end up struggling as the everyday second baseman, so having Kim there to potentially give the team a key boost around the middle of the season would be ideal.

The Giants could give him a one-year contract where he can try to show that he is still the same player after the shoulder injury before reentering free agency next offseason.

It is not a perfect fit, but the move could potentially be beneficial for both sides given the odd nature of Kim's free agency with his shoulder injury.