The Toronto Blue Jays infield has been volatile at best in the past year even with surprisingly serviceable defence. Infielder Ernie Clement earned his Gold Glove nomination at third base while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. showed a flash of his defensive abilities at first base that helped him earn his own Gold Glove a few years ago. Even with this performance, it was clear that the Blue Jays were missing a solid infielder who is able to provide consistently good defence.

With the absence of shortstop Bo Bichette and rotating performance at second base and shortstop, it’s safe to say that the Blue Jays will evaluate free-agent infielders who can bolster the team further this offseason.

Former San Diego Padres infielder Ha-Seong Kim is a free agent this winter after opting out of his deal and could potentially become a player the Blue Jays could look to strengthen their infield defence. What does Kim bring to the table and what would his contract look like?

Offensively, the Korean infielder experienced a down year compared to his 2023 season with the Padres. Kim posted a .260/.351/.398 slash line in 2023 but last year, these numbers dropped to .233/.330/.370. His underperformance mostly stems from his shoulder injury. However, Kim has hit 17 home runs in 2023 and 11 in 2024, showing some power potential.

Kim also recorded a BB% of 12.3 and K% of 16.4, proving his on-base potential. Nevertheless, where Kim shines is in his fielding ability.

He spent most of this season at shortstop and made 11 errors to the tune of a .974 fielding percentage but also has experience at second and third base as well, playing on the right side of the bag for most of the 2023 season (four errors – .991 fielding percentage). He is a career +24 DRS player at shortstop and a +15 DRS at second base.

The 29-year-old infielder recently declined his $8-million mutual option with San Diego according to Dennis Lin from The Athletic. The Padres will give a $2-million buyout to the infielder and he will test the free-agent market for the first time. Previously, Kim signed a four-year, $28 million guaranteed contract with San Diego.

When the versatile infielder changed his representation to the Boras Corporation, it signalled Kim was willing to enter the open market and leverage his experience. The infielder’s offensive ability may not be at an all-star level due to his slump in 2024 but his abilities with the glove are projected to bring more interest from contenders this offseason.

It’s safe to say that Kim is aiming for a contract that will exceed $8 million per year and with his new representation, the Korean infielder will look to maximize his defensive specialties as his leverage. But his maximum or ceiling for his contract could be $10 million given his most recent injury.

The Athletic currently predicts Kim to sign a one-year, $10-million contract with incentives awards and bonuses given his most recent injury history.

On paper, Kim would add more to the ongoing infield clog in the Blue Jays roster.

The team already has Bo Bichette, Ernie Clement, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Spencer Horwitz, Davis Schneider and Wil Wagner. From that perspective, the infielder’s fit is awkward at best. However, Kim’s stellar defensive record could spark interest from the Blue Jays’ camp although they would be banking on his offense metrics going back to 2023 levels.

Kim’s addition to the team would mean that Toronto may have to entertain a trade to address the ongoing infield glut. This could also create a need for the team to move either shortstop Bo Bichette to slide over to second base or Kim to take over the role of the everyday third or second base position if he does sign with the Blue Jays.

As solidifying the fundamentals of baseball, especially on the defensive side, becomes more important for all aspiring playoff contenders, the 29-year-old infielder can be the difference maker they need. The Blue Jays would desperately need someone like Kim to smooth out the fundamentals and could be reaching out to his camp to negotiate a deal this offseason.