San Diego Padres outfielder Ha-Sung Kim will not be changing teams this spring, according to trade speculation.
The Athletic reported on Saturday (June 16) that a trade is unlikely to happen soon.
“There are still no signs that a deal involving Kim is imminent,” the outlet said, noting that “the unusual timeline is something to consider.” The timeline is an issue because of qualifying offers.
A qualifying offer is a one-year contract offered by an organization to a free agent at the average salary of the top 125 highest-paid players in the big leagues. 바카라사이트 If the player declines and switches teams, the original team receives the following year’s draft pick.
Prospective free agents who are traded during the season are not eligible for qualifying offers.
The problem is that it’s unclear when we should consider Kim’s season to have started.
Kim’s team, the San Diego Padres, will open the regular season against the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul next month on April 20-21 in what is known as the Seoul Series. Because of the move to Seoul, the opening game between the Padres and Dodgers was organized about a week earlier than other teams.
After the Seoul Series, the Padres will return to the U.S. for a series of exhibition games against the Seattle Mariners on Sept. 26-27, followed by a “mainland opener” against the San Francisco Giants on Sept. 29.
“If Kim were to be traded between the Seoul Series and March 29, it would create a situation unprecedented since the qualifying offer was implemented in 2012, and it is unclear whether Kim would be ineligible for a qualifying offer,” The Athletic noted. “This issue should be resolved jointly by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball players’ union.”
San Diego’s upcoming series in Seoul is also a factor in Kim’s trade this spring.
Kim was a star player in the KBO and played seven seasons at the Gocheok Sky Dome, where the Seoul Series is being held. With such high expectations for him as a major leaguer, there will be pressure on teams to move him.
“It’s not easy to trade Kim before March 21,” a San Diego team official admitted, according to the media. However, the team did not completely close the door on the possibility of trading Kim, saying that “all decisions regarding the future of the fan-favorite player will be made with the best interests of the team in mind.”
Meanwhile, amid speculation of a trade for Kim, general manager A.J. 사설 토토사이트 Preller recently said, “We consider him a big part of the team. We need him in the middle of the diamond (second base, shortstop) to be good.” The team’s manager, A.J. Preller, also recognized Kim’s value.