His ransom dropped significantly over the past year. However, there is no need to be discouraged. Kim Ha-sung (30) has won a good enough contract despite the unfavorable conditions of "shoulder injury."

The official Major League website MLB.com announced on the 30th (Korea Standard Time), "The Tampa Bay Rays have agreed to a two-year contract with shortstop Kim Ha-sung," adding, "The contract is worth $29 million (about 41.9 billion won) and includes an opt-out clause after the 2025 season."스포츠토토

Kim Ha-sung's "unbeatable status as a FA" has finally come to an end, having traveled all over the U.S. only due to rumors of his transfer to the FA. In the 2025 season, Kim Ha-sung will play in the American League East, which is famous for its fierce competition in the Tampa Bay uniform, with a new mindset.

In the past year, Kim Ha-sung has gone through hell with heaven. Kim Ha-sung, who stepped on the big league stage with the San Diego Padres in 2021, has emerged as a league-leading infielder by winning the NL Gold Glove (utility category) with a batting average of 0.260 with 17 homers, 60 RBIs and 38 steals in 152 games in the 2023 season, which was his third year. Thanks to his performance, Kim Ha-sung attracted great attention as a "FA big fish" capable of making contracts worth more than 100 million U.S. dollars ahead of the 2024 season.

Kim Ha-sung, who pushed Xander Bogaerts to second base in the 2024 season to take San Diego's main shortstop position, was still highly evaluated, including being listed as Tier 3, which is likely to sign a contract worth between $100 million and $200 million (about 289.1 billion won) in August's preliminary FA grade classified by ESPN.

However, everything has changed due to the unexpected injury. Kim Ha-sung injured his shoulder while returning from a game against the Colorado Rockies on August 19 last year and ended the season as it was. Kim Ha-sung, who finished 121 games in 2024 with a batting average of 0.233 (94 hits in 403 times at bat), 11 homers, 47 RBIs, 22 steals, and an OPS of 0.700, turned down the option of 8 million U.S. dollars per year with San Diego, and entered the free agent market. He was recognized for his value in the shortstop's FA ranking, ranking second after Willy Adames of the San Francisco Giants, but did not sign a contract.

Throughout the Stove League, Kim Ha-sung's name was linked to several clubs. However, the San Francisco Giants, the Detroit Tigers, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Washington Nationals, and the Seattle Mariners, who were mentioned as potential destinations, recruited other infielders and utility resources to fill the vacancy. Before the year changes to 2025, Kim Ha-sung could not find a new team.

About three weeks before the opening of the spring camp, Kim Ha-sung finally found a new team. An unexpected team, Tampa Bay, reached out to him, not a team that had been frequently connected to Kim Ha-sung. It was a bit disappointing considering that the contract was classified as Tier 3 (US$100 million to US$200 million) half a year ago.

However, considering the economic power of Tampa Bay, the representative "Small Market" in the MLB, it is by no means a bad condition. MLB.com said, "If the contract (with Tampa Bay) is finalized, Kim Ha-sung will receive $13 million (about 18.8 billion won) this season, making him the team's highest salary. If he does not opt out in 2026, he will receive $16 million (about 23.1 billion won). The total amount of $29 million is the fifth largest FA contract in the team's history."

MLB.com said on the 16th, "It is highly likely that he is not ready to wear a uniform before the opening game. His first regular season appearance will be in May, not April." Considering that he gave the best treatment in the team to Kim Ha-sung, who was unable to play from the opening game, Tampa Bay highly valued Kim Ha-sung.

Although it is not a long-term contract of four to five years, the average annual size ($14.5 million) is also a considerable amount considering the prospects that have been made so far. In this stove league, Kim Ha-sung's expected contract size was mentioned at an annual average of $10 million to $15 million. In fact, he won a contract that is close to the maximum he can receive. If you have a successful first season, you will not lose much because it is a contract that is nothing short of "FA re-entry" that can opt out and be valued again in the market.

Despite his shoulder injury, Kim Ha-sung, who joined hands with "Super Agent" Scott Boras to enter the FA market, avoided "Mia-needed" by the end of January. Attention is focusing on whether Kim Ha-sung, who is wearing a Tampa Bay uniform in the unfamiliar AL East, will be able to regain his 2023 NL Gold Glover appearance and fly.