Whether to pursue big KBO star could be tough call for KC Royals

Hyeseong Kim, a heralded infielder for the Korean Baseball Organization's Kiwoom Heroes, is on the verge of becoming the latest international star to bring stellar skills to Major League Baseball. Kim anticipates the Heroes will post him soon, perhaps even next week, and the Kansas City Royals could be among his suitors.

But should they join the furious multi-team courtship Kim's posting will surely trigger?

The answer, as the saying goes, depends on your perspective. For Kansas City — a team with its sights set on advancing farther in postseason play than it did this season but needing to add more potent bats to get there — the answer may be "Yes".

But it's complicated.

On paper, Hyeseong Kim makes a good free agent target for KC Royals

That Kim could add substantial value to the Royals is beyond question. A seasoned eight-year KBO veteran but still only 25 years old (26 in late January), Kim is a proven multi-dimensional talent. His bat is excellent — only once has he failed to hit at least .270, and that was when he batted .188 in his 16 at-bat 2017 debut. He's bettered the .300 mark four times, including the career-best .335 mark he posted in 2023 and his fine .326 in 2024. He owns a career .304/.364/.403 line.

Looking at on Kim's career .364 OBP, which was bolstered by reaching .396 a year ago and .383 this year, it's clear slapping hits isn't the only way he knows how to get on base. What he does on the base paths is also eye-catching — not counting his brief 16-game first season, he's averaging 30.1 steals per year and stole 46 in 2021.

Kim also grabbed three KBO Golden Gloves in a row from 2021-23. The first came at shortstop in 2021, and he took home the second base hardware in 2022 and 2023.

Still, if Kim is piquing the Royals' interest, circumstances tend to weigh against pursuing him.

Hyeseong Kim presents the KC Royals with more than one dilemma

As much as general manager J.J. Picollo may want to move Kim to the top of his offseason wish list, whether or not to mix it up in the chase for his services is a complex issue.

First, of course, are Kim's defensive positions. He's a second baseman first and a shortstop second, and the Royals are well-stocked at both spots with the irreplaceable Bobby Witt Jr. at short and Michael Massey or the recently-acquired Jonathan India at second.

At least at first glance, there isn't an up-the-middle hole for Kim to fill. No one, including Kim, is displacing Witt Jr., and the Royals moving Massey or India seems unlikely.

But the latter scenario isn't beyond the realm of possibilities. Massey's repeated struggles with his back forced him to the Injured List twice in 2024, making a part-time role for him something that the team may seriously consider. Regarding India, there have been some, but not many, rumblings about him taking up the outfield and moving into one of the corner spots. If the Royals did manage to move both Massey and India, second base would open to Kim.

As another option, could Picollo trade Massey or India to make room for Kim? The better market would be India's, but flipping him so soon, especially after giving up Brady Singer to get him, doesn't make tremendous sense, and the return for Massey and his troubled back might not be good enough.

Cost is also a factor. Kim won't come cheap, and because his years of KBO service are enough to free him of posting process restrictions on salary and contract length, he'll command a hefty, multi-year deal. The Royals already have considerable time and money committed to bothWitt Jr.'s club-record deal and Salvador Pérez's big contract, just gave Michael Wacha a new deal worth as much as $72 million, ought to be thinking about a nice early extension for Vinnie Pasquantino, and still need to add more talent.

And there's also a not-so-hidden cost for the club who secures Kim's services. On top of what it takes to sign him, that team is required to compensate the Heroes for their loss, with the total amount based on significant percentages tied to various levels of the total value of Kim's contract.

So, will the Royals give serious chase to Kim? The guess here is, unfortuantely, no.