Rangers interested in Ha-seong Kim, per report

MLB rumors involving the Texas Rangers for the coming offseason have already started. Ha-seong Kim, a 24 year old shortstop/third baseman with the Kiwoom Heroes in the KBO, is reportedly going to be posted this offseason, per Jon Paul Morosi. Morosi lists the Rangers and the San Francisco Giants as teams that “are viewed as suitors.”

Morosi says that while Kim has primarily played shortstop, scouts think he could be a better fit for a team that can use him at second base or third base. A pursuit of Kim would seemingly indicate that the Rangers are serious about going into 2021 with a replacement for Rougned Odor or Elvis Andrus (or both). The Rangers could potentially sign Kim, play him at second base or shortstop, put Isiah Kiner-Falefa at whichever of those positions Kim doesn’t play, and have Josh Jung at third base in 2021, should they go that route.

Kim slashed .310/.402/.530 in 580 plate appearances in 2020, which was good for the 11th best OPS in the KBO in 2020. Former Pittsburgh Pirates 3rd rounder Mel Rojas led the KBO in OPS, slashing .349/.414/.679, while Preston Tucker was 6th, at .304/.401/.558.

The Rangers have been active in scouting Asia for the past decade, and are frequently linked to significant players coming to the United States from Asia. While Kim doesn’t appear to be a future superstar, he does look like he could be a quality major leaguer starter at an infield position, and would give the Rangers some options going forward.