The development of the situation was not easy, but Kim Ha-seong (28, San Diego Padres) did not forget the pleasantness.
On the 5th (Korean time), Ha-seong Kim had an interview with a local American reporter at the San Diego Fan Fest held at Petco Park, the home stadium. In this place, he showed off his cheerfulness with humorous comments. AJ Casabel, a reporter in charge of San Diego on the MLB.com official homepage of the major leagues, revealed the conversation he had with Ha-sung Kim through his personal social media (SNS). Ha-seong Kim said, “I was told that he would often appear as a second baseman this season. He will also play as a third baseman, but if he plays as a third baseman, I want him to be called ‘Kim Cha-do’.”
Kim Ha-seong played 150 games last season and recorded a batting average of 0.251, 11 homers, 59 RBIs, 58 runs, and an OPS 슬롯사이트 of 0.708. He filled the void left by the team’s star, Fernando Tatis Jr., and faithfully fulfilled his role as the starting shortstop.
San Diego has reinforced its infielders in preparation for the 2023 season. In the free agent (FA) market, he caught Zander Bogatz (31) for a total of 280 million dollars (approximately 350.3 billion won) in 11 years. With the appearance of a strong shortstop competitor, Kim Ha-seong is expected to change his position, and judging from his interview on the 5th, it can be assumed that he has already talked deeply about the team. Kim Ha-seong, who can play multiple positions in the infield, can play as second baseman, third baseman, and shortstop.
‘Kim Cha-do’ mentioned by Ha-sung Kim is a combination of ‘Kim’ of Ha-sung Kim and ‘Cha-do’ of Manny Machado (31), the team’s main third baseman. Since 2021, Machado has built a special friendship by helping Ha-seong Kim adapt to the major leagues.
First of all, Kim Ha-seong is expected to defend San Diego’s center line once again as second baseman. However, depending on the team situation, he can play as a third baseman as he said. Attention is focusing on whether Ha-seong Kim will be able to survive in the competition for survival by demonstrating his ability to digest multiple positions.