Rays signed SS Ha-Seong Kim to a two-year, $29 million contract.
The deal, which also includes $2 million in incentives and an opt-out following the 2025 season, is now official. Kim is expected to take over as Tampa Bay’s primary shortstop in late April or early May once he’s completed his rehabilitation process from offseason shoulder surgery. It’s unclear whether the previously elite stolen base totals are coming back after he managed only 22 thefts last year in 121 games. The 29-year-old infielder’s plate skills remain at near-elite levels, but he simply doesn’t make enough consistent hard contact to forecast anything beyond 10-15 homers. If he’s not swiping 30-plus bases it’s difficult to envision him making a significant fantasy impact, but his path to relevance is exponentially easier at the keystone as opposed to shortstop.