Kiwoom Heroes' Kim Ha-seong to be posted for MLB clubs on Wednesday

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Nov. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korean All-Star shortstop Kim Ha-seong will be made available for interested major league clubs this week via posting.

The Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said Tuesday that they will ask the league office to post Kim for Major League Baseball (MLB) teams on Wednesday.

Under the posting system, any interested MLB team will be able to negotiate with Kim during a 30-day period, which will begin at 8 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the morning after MLB officially notifies its 30 clubs of Kim's availability. The window will close at 5 p.m. ET on the 30th day.

The Heroes promised Kim last December that they would post him once he became eligible following the 2020 season. The 25-year-old completed his seventh season this year.

KBO players must put in seven full seasons or their equivalent to be posted. They must stay on the active roster for 145 days to qualify for a full season.

The Heroes had between Nov. 10 and Dec. 14 to post Kim, and the general expectation had been that they would wait until the conclusion of the ongoing Korean Series to do so. But their general manager Kim Chi-hyun said he wanted the player to be able to finish contract talks before Christmas.

The Korean Series, with the NC Dinos leading the Doosan Bears 3-2, could end with Tuesday's Game 6 or will end no later than Wednesday's Game 7.

Kim, who has found himself on free agent rankings in U.S. and Canadian publications, picked a great time to have a career year. He batted .306/.397/.523 this season, setting career highs in on-base and slugging percentages. He also established career bests with 30 home runs, and his 109 RBIs and 111 runs scored were the second-highest totals of his career. Kim swiped 23 bags without getting caught for his second career 20-20 season.

Kim mostly played shortstop but also appeared at third base after the Heroes signed former Chicago Cubs All-Star Addison Russell.

If Kim signs a major league deal, the amount of the transfer fee awarded to the Heroes will depend on the value of that contract.

If the guaranteed value of the deal is US$25 million or less, then the fee will be 20 percent of the contract. And if the contract is worth between $25,000,001 and $50 million, the fee will be 20 percent of the first $25 million, plus 17.5 percent of any amount exceeding that $25 million.

Last winter, two KBO players, SK Wyverns' pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun and Doosan Bears' outfielder Kim Jae-hwan, were posted. Kim Kwang-hyun signed a two-year deal worth $8 million with the St. Louis Cardinals, but Kim Jae-hwan wasn't picked up by anyone and stayed in the KBO.

jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)