If Kim Ha-sung (Tampa Bay Rays) competes, prospect Carson Williams could be affected."

Infielder Kim Ha-sung, who was a free agent (FA), signed a two-year free agent contract with Tampa Bay on the 30th of last month to find a new team. He has a meaningful title of being the highest paid person in the team and at the same time has an "opt-out" clause that allows him to qualify as an FA (free agent) even if he does not meet the contract period. Depending on the player's judgment, he can qualify as an FA once again after the end of this season.메이저사이트

Tampa Bay has been plagued by the use of shortstop in recent years. After the end of the 2021 season, the club awarded "special prospect" Wander Franco a large, 11-year contract worth $182 million (about 267.1 billion won), but Franco is not available because he is on the restricted roster for underage sex offenses in the middle of the 2023 season.

Taylor Walls and Jose Caballero were hired last year to fill the vacancy, but they could not fill Franco's strong impact. Caballero had a batting average of 0.227 (100 hits in 441 at-bats), nine homers, 44 RBIs and 44 steals in 139 games, and OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.630 and Walls had a batting average of 0.183 (40 hits in 218 at-bats) and one homer, 14 RBIs and 16 steals in 84 games, both of which had low offensive productivity.

Kim Ha-sung is wearing the Tampa Bay uniform to solve the problem. However, he cannot afford to use it at the beginning of this season due to his shoulder rehabilitation that he injured during the middle of last season. Against this backdrop, the club's eyes are on Williams, who is the No. 1 promising player in the team.

Williams joined Tampa Bay as the 28th overall pick in the first round of the 2021 MLB Rookie Draft. As his joining list shows, he is a highly anticipated and promising player of his team. He has grown rapidly thanks to his outstanding potential and posted a batting average of 0.256 (111 hits in 433 times at bat) with 20 homers, 69 RBIs and 33 steals in 115 games at Double A last year. As a shortstop, he played 979 ⅓ in 113 games and only made nine mistakes, showing off his stable defense capability. Chances are high that he will play as a shortstop in the opening game at this point in time.

Sports Illustrated (SI), a sports media outlet, wrote on the 3rd (Korea time), "Kim Ha-sung is currently recovering from shoulder surgery and is expected to be unable to play until May. If he plays, prospect Carson Williams could be affected. Shortstop Williams is considered one of the best defenders in the minor leagues. He is ready to be called up soon (to the major leagues), but if Kim Ha-sung takes over as a shortstop, he may have to move his position. Or, with Kim Ha-sung's presence, he could go down to the minor leagues."

"According to Baseball America (which delivers news of major league prospects), Williams is a talent to take over Tampa Bay's main shortstop for many years to come. However, the defense is ready to go to the Major League right now, but the hitting should be done about 500 times at Triple-A level," he said, stressing that he needs more time to use it right now.

In many ways, it is Tampa Bay where Kim Ha-sung's return will be important. Williams can secure time to grow and at the same time add stability to the offense and defense. Although Williams has a special talent, Kim Ha-sung, who has consistently experienced Major League Baseball, is more valuable at this point.

Meanwhile, MLB's official website (MLB.com ) said, "Tampa Bay has recruited a strong player with a relatively reasonable amount of money," adding, "He struggled at bat in the 2021 season, his first year in the big league, but the next three seasons were above average. He showed off his strong defense in various positions."

Kim Ha-sung, who made his first transfer since his Major League debut in the 2021 season, will show how he will perform in his new team.