The competition for the starting pitcher of Korean major leaguer Kim Hye-sung, who became the "Dodgers Man," has become a little easier.토토사이트

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds announced on their official website on the 7th (Korea time) that Dodgers infielder Gavin Lux moved to Cincinnati and Dodgers made a trade with Cincinnati outfielder Mike Sirota to receive a rookie nomination. Cincinnati, which had been empty at second base after trading Jonathan India, a former National League Rookie of the Year, to the Kansas City Royals in 2021, saved a new second baseman through Lux's acquisition.

On the other hand, the Dodgers had a hole in the second base position when Lux, who played 139 games last year and was likely to be the main second baseman this year, left. Since the Dodgers have such a thick base of players, many options can be considered. Kim Hye-sung, who signed a contract for up to $22 million for 3+2 years on the 4th, could also be an option for the Dodgers. This is why Kim Hye-sung's performance in the upcoming spring camp and exhibition games is more important.

Last year's main second baseman who left the Dodgers in a trade

In December 2012, Ryu Hyun-jin, the left-hander of Hanwha Eagles, signed a six-year, $36 million contract with the Dodgers, becoming the first player to go straight from the KBO League to the Major League. Ryu Hyun-jin swept the Rookie of the Year and the regular league MVP along with the three-time rookie season winner (multiple wins, ERA, and strikeout No. 1) in the KBO League, and was the best ace in Korean baseball who led to the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the gold medal at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games.

After joining the Dodgers, Ryu had to engage in fierce competition to start in the spring camp. At that time, the Dodgers had the best one-two punch in the league, consisting of Clayton Kershaw and Jack Greinke, and many pitchers were aiming for a starting position, including Ted Lilly, Chris Capuano, and Josh Beckett. After overcoming difficult competition, Ryu garnered a starting position and posted a good performance of 14 wins, 8 losses, and 3.00, marking the beginning of his stellar big league career.

In fact, among all Korean big leaguers, Lee Jung-hoo, the "grandchild of the wind," who signed a six-year, $113 million contract with the San Francisco Giants in December 2023. Even "Big Boy" Lee Dae-ho, who had a reputation as a special player in Japanese professional baseball after destroying the KBO League, joined the Seattle Mariners through a split contract inviting to the spring camp, not a major league contract.

He entered the Dodgers with a 3+2-year contract after failing to win a good long-term contract as his friend Lee Jung-hoo, a second baseman of the national team who has a batting average of .300 with the Golden Glove for four consecutive years in the KBO League and is the best stealer in 2021. In addition, Lux, who was a first round player in the 2016 rookie draft (20th overall) and rebounded with .304 seven home runs and 26 RBIs in the second half of last year with an OPS (on base rate + slugging rate) of .899, is a team that plays as the main second baseman.

Lux was once again a candidate for the Dodgers' main second baseman this year, but with Kim Hye-sung signing with the Dodgers, Lux's position began to change. Lux, which had been rumored to have traded since joining the team, was traded to Cincinnati on Wednesday. In addition, the Dodgers has been receiving outfielders and rookie nominations, not infielders, as part of its return benefits. In other words, Kim Hye-sung, who is seeking the Dodgers' second base, is missing a competitor who could pose the biggest threat to him.

Kim Hye-sung, who is expected to compete indefinitely in the spring camp

Of course, there is no way that the Dodgers, which aims to win the World Series for the second consecutive year, traded its main second baseman last year believing in Korean infielder Kim Hye-sung, who has never been proven in the Major League. However, if the Dodgers does not recruit other second basemen before the opening of the season, it will determine the starting second baseman through internal competition. There are sufficient requirements for Kim to enter the race to become the starting pitcher through spring camp and exhibition games.

After Lux's absence, the Dodgers' remaining second base contenders include Miguel Rojas, utility players Chris Taylor and Tommy Edman. Rojas, who turns 36 years old, has played in 922 games as a career shortstop, but only 87 as a second baseman. Taylor, who was sluggish last year with four home runs and 23 RBIs, is also more familiar with left field and shortstop than second base, and his performance has fallen significantly in the last three years since he was selected to the All-Star in 2021.

Edman, who also played for the Korean national team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, is a player who boasts an outstanding second base defense that won the Gold Glove in the second base category in 2021 when he was a St. Louis Cardinals player. He transformed into a "super utility" by serving as both shortstop and outfielder from 2023, and signed an extension contract for five years and $74 million last year when he was named MVP of the National League Championship Series when he moved to the Dodgers.

Of course, in order for Kim to compete for the starting second baseman this year, he needs to have another important prerequisite. Superstar Mookie Betts, who leads the Dodgers' lineup along with Shohei Ohtani, will play as the main shortstop. Betts, an eight-time All-Star and seven-time Silver Slugger winner, is hoping to play in the infield this year, but if Betts takes over as a second baseman rather than a shortstop, Kim may have to leave the second base to find another position.

The Dodgers is expected to continue experimenting through spring camp and exhibition games with three major options: recruiting outside second baseman, arranging infield traffic with second baseman Betts and shortstop Edman, and infinite competition with shortstop Betts. Consequently, only when manager Dave Roberts and Dodgers fans impress upon him through good performance in the spring camp can he gain an advantage not only in the primary goal of entering the opening roster but also in the race to become a starting member of the second base.
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