The Los Angeles Dodgers have been tied in MLB rumors to Japanese starting pitcher Roki Sasaki for nearly a year, with many around baseball viewing a signing as inevitable. However, there’s another top player in MLB free agency who is also reportedly on the Dodgers’ radar.
Los Angeles has been busy this winter, retaining some of its top free agents and bringing in more talent. The Dodgers re-signed reliever Blake Treienen on a two-year deal worth $22 million and just agreed to terms on a contract with Teoscar Hernandez.
- Los Angeles Dodgers payroll 2025 (FanGraphs): $258 million
Hernandez will return to a new-look Dodgers lineup that now boasts outfielder Michael Conforto. Los Angeles also strengthened its pitching staff, signing Blake Snell away from the San Francisco Giants. While landing Sasaki remains a top priority, there’s another option the team is interested in.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Dodgers have looked into signing Ha-Seong Kim. The club also had expressed interest in Luis Robert Jr. and Anthony Santander, but neither player is expected to be an option following the re-signing of Hernandez.
- Ha-Seong Kim stats (ESPN): .233/.330/.370, .700 OPS, 11 home runs, 47 RBI in 403 ABs
Kim, age 29, would provide Los Angeles with a Gold Glove Award recipient to add to the infield defense. However, he is slated to miss the first few weeks of the 2025 MLB season after undergoing surgery to repair his right labrum.
Once healthy, Kim could slide in at shortstop with Mookie Betts playing second base thus making Gavin Lux a trade candidate. Los Angeles could then deploy Tommy Edman in center field, providing much better defense at several positions than it had last season. For now, Kim will likely remain unsigned until teams have a clearer picture regarding when he’ll be able to play.