Toronto Blue Jays and the advantage in pursuit of landing Ha-Seong Kim

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Hyun Jin Ryu may end up being a key recruiter as the Jays look to add Ha-Seong Kim this offseason.

In the least surprising news of the 2020-2021 offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays are interested in another one of the many talents available on the market, but this connection has a little different twist to it.

According to KBO insider Daniel Kim, KBO infielder Ha-Seong Kim, who is currently posted by his former KBO team and open to negotiate with MLB teams until January 1st, and Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Hyun Jin Ryu recently had dinner together in what wasn’t an official recruiting trip, according to the Blue Jays, but was a meeting requested by Ha-Seong Kim.

Seeking life advice from an established MLB veteran who has experience making the same transition you are looking to make in the coming weeks is a logical decision for Kim, and certainly doesn’t hurt the Toronto Blue Jays in their pursuit of free agent talent.

The Blue Jays have been connected to just about every high-profile free agent on the market, even top trade targets like Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor, as the Blue Jays are expected to be one of the more aggressive teams of the offseason as they make a push towards the top of the American League East division.

It’s not hard to understand why the Toronto Blue Jays would be interested in the 25-year-old infielder, who Kyle Glaser over at Baseball America ranked as the top KBO talent to likely transition to Major League Baseball ahead of the 2020 KBO season.

Per Glaser’s scouting report, Kim is a plus-runner, an above-average hitter with enough power to hit double-digit home runs in a season, and would have been a Top 100 MLB prospect if he was in the United States to begin the 2020 season. But reported interest in Ha-Seong Kim has been limited since the end of the KBO season, despite his standout tools and the belief that he will eventually settle into his own here in the States.

The 25-year-old is a bit younger than many of other players who typically make the move from the KBO to MLB, but he’s been a professional baseball player since he was 18 and has been one of the KBO’s top hitters for more than half a decade.

In 138 games for the Kiwoom Heroes this season, Kim hit .306 with a .397 OBP, 30 home runs, 24 doubles, and 109 RBI. He also walked more times than he struck out, drawing a free pass in 75 plate-appearances, compared to just 68 strikeouts.

But where does he fit in with the Blue Jays? Scouts believe Kim can stick at shortstop in the majors, a position currently held by Bo Bichette in Toronto. Luckily, Toronto’s infield is fairly flexible.

If the Blue Jays were to land Kim, perhaps Bichette moves over to second base, while Cavan Biggio moves to the outfield. There’s room to fit all the pieces together in Toronto.

The Toronto Blue Jays may have an advantage when it comes to signing Ha-Seong Kim. When their ace pitcher says he would like to be teammates with the promising young infielder, let’s hope the organization is listening closely.