Rays make shocking free agent move and pay big for former Padres star

In a shocking development, the Tampa Bay Rays inked former Padres infielder Ha-Seong Kim to a two-year, $29 million deal with an opt-out after the first season, according to a post by Jeff Passan on X.

As a long-time Rays Colored Glasses favorite for the Rays to target in free agency, the move still came as a huge surprise to many, both because of the high dollar amount and because the Rays had recently signed Taylor Walls to an extension to avoid arbitration.

Kim's value mostly lies in his defense in the middle infield and his baserunning, as he usually hovers around a 100 wRC+ for offensive production. However, when you combine that with his 6 OAA mark in 2022 at shortstop, as well as a 4 rating in that same metric last season and a baserunning value that ranks among the best in baseball over the past 3 seasons, you've got yourself quite the all-around player.

HSK can also be a more-than-solid substitute at second base, making trading Brandon Lowe a potential solution to their crowded infield.

Kim's offensive production mostly stems from the fact that he has one of the best approaches in baseball, with consistently low chase, whiff, and contact rates.

While his power numbers haven't usually been one of his strengths, an interesting note to make about his batted ball profile is that his pull rate has hovered around 45% most of his career, taking a slight dip to 43% last season.

Unfortunately for next season that might not make much of a difference due to the Rays not playing their games at Tropicana Field, but if he accepts the second year's option, it could translate to even more success in 2026, assuming the team is good to play there after repairs.

While it's harder to say for sure if the "expected home runs by park" can be trusted due to the Rays' playing in a new stadium, it's fair to at least try to project that total by looking at the Yankees' stadium total in that category since, well, the Rays are playing in a near-exact replica.

The atmosphere in Tampa Bay may very well be different enough than New York to make it unreliable, but it's the closest resemblance. Unfortunately his totals there are either worse or around the same as the raw home run amount he racked up during his time in San Diego.

The good news is that in the Trop he would've mashed 15 and 18 homers in 2022 and 2023 respectively, making for a fun idea to dream about if the Rays ever end up back in the dome.

Kim is dealing with a shoulder injury that could keep him out until May, but when he returns he's expected to assume either the full-time shortstop role or perhaps give Brandon Lowe an easy transition to full-time DH (until they trade either one).

The Rays will have some tough decisions to make with their major league roster, and will have to get their 40-man total back to its max. Therefore, the most likely candidate to be DFA'd is Osleivis Basabe, who's unfortunately become the 3rd (or 4th if you count Carson Williams) shortstop on the depth chart.

As for what the Rays will do with their roster, it's safe to assume they keep Taylor Walls around after they extended the slick-fielding infielder, but Jose Caballero could be in jeopardy of starting the season in AAA, as he still has options to be sent down.

Cabby's 2024 was a bit up and down, as his high stolen base total was overshadowed by a low success rate when trying to swipe bags, making his value running the bases lower than expected for someone who actually led the AL In stolen bases.

He's a bit better with the bat than Walls and is rumored to be moved around in the outfield as well, but the Rays have shown an unwavering commitment to Walls, both in giving him the starting shortstop position last year and with his new contract.

So it's likely that Cabby is either traded or sent down to Triple-A to begin the season, along with a host of other quality position players who could eventually be called up after injury, under-performance, or trades. Of these include Australian infielder Curtis Mead, who unfortunately can't seem to stick around in the majors.

Nonetheless, rejoice Rays fans! Ha-Seong Kim is a massive upgrade at a position of high value, and it's for a deal that is both easy to stomach and doesn't preclude Carson Williams from making his eventual transition to the majors.