MLB's Tampa Bay Rays have made a lot of moves this offseason, trading two of their top left pitchers, including Jeffrey Springs, to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for three players. In addition, the team has signed infielder Kim Ha-sung, catcher Danny Jansen and outfielder Eloy Jimenez. Among them, Kim Ha-sung's salary is as high as 29 million US dollars for 2 years, directly becoming the player with the highest average salary on the team. On the surface, the Rays seem to have picked up a bargain, but in fact the stakes are not low, why do you say that?

Kim spent four seasons with the San Diego Padres, batting at 0.242, 0.326 on base, and 0.380 on base, hitting 47 home runs and completing 78 stolen bases, with a weighted composite score (wRC+) of 101 and a Victory Contribution Value (WAR) of 10.9. He has double-digit home runs for 3 consecutive seasons. However, during last season's Aug. 18 game against Colorado Rockies, he injured his shoulder, causing a slight tear in his labrum of the shoulder joint. Initial attempts to recover through rehabilitation were unsatisfactory and eventually surgery was underway, and it is expected that he will not be able to play until May this year at the earliest. Even so, he turned down the two-way option at the end of the season and decided to enter the free agent market.

In these four years in the United States, Kim Ha-sung has undoubtedly been successful, his striking is at the average of the major leagues, his greatest value is in terms of running bases and guarding, the range and ability of the guard is quite good, and he is just over 29 years old and is at the peak of his career. So, as an infield midliner who can run, defend, smash and hit 10 home runs in a single season, he was expected to be the hot favorite in the free agent market this year.

But the problem is that the timing of Kim Ha-sung's injury is very unfortunate. First of all, the injured part of his shoulder is a crucial part of the striking, and his future recovery is highly uncertain, and there have been many painful examples before, such as former teenager Cody Bellinger, the 2019 National League MVP. In addition, Kim Ha-sung's injury and treatment caused him to be unable to make it to the start of the season, which created an awkward situation. The team that needs him will not be able to use him for a full season this year, and they will not dare to give him a contract too long due to a shoulder injury; It is also inappropriate for a small-market team to adopt a short-term, high-salary contract in order to reassess his value; And the player himself will not be willing to sign a small contract because of injury, thus disrupting his value assessment, so it has been delayed until 2025 to determine his next home.

As for why the Rays are quite risky with this signing, first of all, the team suffered a hurricane last offseason, and the home court of Tampa Bay was severely damaged, and this season can only be temporarily relocated to the New York Yankees' triple-A court as a temporary home court, and the facilities of the original home court seem to show no signs of being resolved in the short term. In the long run, this will undoubtedly further reduce their income for the Rays, who are already not well funded. In this case, the team should be more cautious about the use of the resources at hand. However, their biggest move of the offseason was the signing of Kim Ha-sung.

This is not to say that Kim Ha Sung is not strong, it is indeed because of his injury that the signing has been delayed until now. But the first problem is that the Rays are not short of infielders, with Brandon Lowe at second and third base, and top rookie Junior Caminero, shortstops currently hitting the underperforming Taylor Walls, but with José Caballero and Curtis Mead to replace. and Carson Williams, one of the top infield potentials in minor leagues, who is fairly well staffed. Another issue is that Kim Ha-sung has the option to jump out of his contract after the first year of his contract, which makes it impossible for the Rays to make the most of him.

For the Rays, that meant Kim Ha-sung had to free up a defensive spot for him after returning from injury in his first year, squeezing other players' playing opportunities. If he performs well, jumping out of his contract in the first year will not benefit the Rays in 2025; If he doesn't perform well, he's bound not to jump out of his contract, and the $16 million salary for the following year will be a burden for the Rays, possibly even trading him out before the end of his contract.

Therefore, there is no small risk in the signing of the Rays this time. Of course, from a player's point of view, it's a very sincere contract. If he plays well, he can look for the next big contract at the age of 30; If you don't play well, you still have a chance to regain your value. In the case of his own injury and the gradual decline in the popularity of the market, he can still get such a lucrative contract, I have to say that his agent Scott Boras (Scott Boras) is too good.