Kim Hye-sung (26) has chosen to challenge the LA Dodgers, the most luxurious team in the Major League.

Kim Hye-sung, who tried to enter the Major League through the posting system, confirmed her trip to the Dodgers on the 4th. She signed a contract for three years plus 22 million dollars for two years. The guarantee contract is 12.5 million dollars (about 18.4 billion won) for three years, with an option for 2028-2029. Kim Hye-sung, who achieved her dream as she reached a contract agreement just before the deadline for posting negotiations, which was 7 a.m. on the 4th, plans to move to the U.S. this week to undergo a physical examination and complete the process of joining the team.스포츠토토

Dodgers chose Kim because of her diverse talents. Korean national second baseman Kim Hye-sung is an infielder with a total batting average of 0.304 in the KBO league, with a batting average of 0.326 this year. He stole more than 20 bases every year and became the stealer king (46) in 2021.

"Double plus runner," Dodgers manager Brandon Gomes praised Kim for his baserunning ability and said, "He can display good defense in multiple positions. He also has advantages in hitting."

As for how to use it, however, the Dodgers said it has recruited talented players. We will see how the situation unfolds. The Dodgers will have its infielders comprised of second baseman Gavin Lux, shortstop Mookie Betts, and third baseman Max Muncy. Kim Hye-sung will likely have to start his big league challenge as a backup infielder. As the contract does not include the right to reject minor demotion, he needs to thoroughly overcome the competition to become a "big leaguer."

Kim Hye-sung's greatest strength is his defensive ability, which allows shortstop and outfielder as well as second baseman, his main position.

Since her debut, Kim has played in several positions. In 2018, when she started playing as a mainstay, she played 111 games as a second baseman and 40 games as a shortstop, and in 2019, she played 66 games as a shortstop, 63 games as a second baseman, and 6 games as a third baseman.

In 2020, Kiwoom recruited foreign batters, and Kim Ha-sung, Kim Hye-sung, and Seo Geon-chang actually turned the infield rotation, of which Kim Hye-sung also went out to the outfield.

That year, he played 67 games as a second baseman, 50 as a shortstop, 44 as a left fielder, 44 as a third baseman, and one as a right fielder. In 2021, when Kim Ha-sung entered the U.S., Kim Hye-sung moved to shortstop and received the Golden Glove, and has dominated the Golden Glove as a second baseman for three consecutive years from 2022-2024.

The model answer is on the path that senior Kim Ha-sung walked ahead of him.

Kim Ha-sung also entered the U.S. through posting after the 2020 season and signed a contract with San Diego for up to 39 million dollars (about 53.8 billion won) for 4+1 years. He has decided not to exercise this "+1 year" option and is currently in the free agent market.

The best driving force behind Kim Ha-sung's growth in the Major League is his defense ability to play multiple positions. Four years ago, the San Diego infield was so full that it was unexpected to recruit Kim Ha-sung.

There was Fernando Tatis Jr. at shortstop, Kim Ha-sung's main position, Manny Machado at third base, and Jason Cronenworth at second base. Kim Ha-sung survived in the infield guarded by top stars that were out of reach.

In his first year, he became a backup in both second, third and shortstop, and played 131 games (1,092 innings) as a shortstop in 2022 when Tatis Jr. was not able to play due to injury, before settling down as a mainstay. However, after the season, the San Diego Padres recruited shortstop Xander Bogaerts, and Kim Ha-sung moved to the second base and played 106 games (856.2 innings) as a second baseman, 32 games as a third baseman, and 20 games as a shortstop in 2023, displaying stellar performance in all seasons. After the season, he became a candidate for both the National League's second baseman and utility player categories at the Gold Glove, and took the utility category, taking him to the next level as a big leaguer. Kim Ha-sung also had no right to reject the Minor League during the two years since his debut. However, he turned himself into a card that he cannot abandon by banking on his all-weather defense capabilities.

The Dodgers, where Kim Hye-sung joined, is a much narrower team than San Diego at the time when Kim Ha-sung joined. Compared to Kim Ha-sung, who was guaranteed $28 million for four years at the time, Kim Hye-sung's guarantee is almost half. If the competitiveness decreases, the Dodgers, a big market club, may not have much regret.

However, Kim chose a difficult path for herself. She had already prepared for the survival strategy through her seniority.