Tampa Bay seniors supported Kim Ha-sung..."Good reviews for the contract." The story of Tampa Bay's CEO's surprise
Tampa Bay seniors supported Kim Ha-sung..."Good reviews for the contract." The story of Tampa Bay's CEO's surprise
Blog Article
It turned out that the players' pursuit was behind Tampa Bay's recruitment of Kim Ha-sung.
On the 4th (Korea Standard Time), when the club officially announced the recruitment of Kim Ha-sung, Tampa Bay President Eric Nieder said in a video interview with reporters, "The players who have played for our team are scattered throughout the league. So I can tell you many stories about Kim Ha-sung."
"When it became known that we agreed to a contract with Kim Ha-sung, we received a lot of favorable texts from our team players, former players such as Evan Longoria and Blake Snell. The external evaluation was exactly consistent with what our club verified about him," he said.
Longoria is one of Tampa Bay's iconic players. She played for Tampa Bay from 2008 to 2017, and enjoyed her heyday in Tampa Bay, starting with the American League Rookie of the Year in 2008 and being named an All-Star for three consecutive seasons from 2008 to 2010.
Longoria left Tampa Bay in 2018 and joined the San Francisco Giants, where he played until 2022. Just in time, he met frequently in the NL West for two seasons when he signed with the San Diego Padres in 2021. Longoria is also an infielder with Kim.
Snell, who praised Kim Hye-sung like Longoria, also made his major league debut with Tampa Bay in 2016 and played until 2020. He was traded to San Diego at the end of the 2020 season and met Kim Ha-sung, who joined the team the following year. Snell spent three seasons with Kim Ha-sung before moving to San Diego last season.
The Tampa Bay Times reported, "Tampa Bay views Kim Ha-sung as more than just a talented player. His energy, financial ability, and being an outstanding teammate are all of his charms."
"I think it's really important to recruit Kim Ha-sung, a competitive player, to strengthen the flow and strengthen our group's resolution," said President Niander.
"I think there is an opportunity to revitalize the group surrounding our situation. To achieve this, we need players going in the right direction. In this respect, Kim Ha-sung is absolutely in line," he said.
Tampa Bay immediately needed a shortstop to lose power. Wander Franco, who once signed an 11-year, 182 million-dollar contract to assume the future of the team, is under investigation by the Dominican Republic prosecutor's office on charges of underage prostitution. In fact, it is difficult to return to the 안전놀이터 Major League, and the contract was canceled.
He used Jose Caballero and Taylor Walls as shortstop last season, but it was not good. Caballero was disappointed in offense and defense, and Walls was all about offense and defense.
Shortstop Carson Williams, who was the top prospect in his team and ranked fourth in the Major League last year, graduated from Double-A last season and will start at Triple-A in 2025. He aims to make his Major League debut next year.
In response, Tampa Bay desperately needed a shortstop who could earn them a year or two. Except for shortstop, the team is an infielder without weakness.
Kim Ha-sung injured his shoulder while running base in October last year, and is currently on the operating table. ESPN predicted when Kim will return to the mound.
Kim Ha-sung said, "I heard that my arm is in great condition as well as the test (results). I am moving smoothly to my rehabilitation schedule. I am constantly preparing by talking with the club, and I think I will be able to return to the team from late April to early May. I want to return as early as possible and play in the game."
Kim Ha-sung also plays in Tampa Bay with his uniform number 7. When asked if he thinks his uniform number 7 is important, he replied, "I've been wearing number 7 since Korea. It's a good number, and it means a lot because it's always been used. I think number 7 suits me well."