Hyeseong Kim picks 2024 WS champ LA Dodgers' $23,000,000 deal over Angels' more lucrative $28,000,000 offer: Report

The Dodgers have signed Kiwoom Heroes standout Hyeseong Kim, adding to their already stacked infield. The Dodgers previously faced Team Korea ahead of the Seoul Series last season, where Kim featured in the lineup.

In eight seasons in the KBO, Kim has shown strong contact hitting and base-running prowess. He boast a career .304 batting average and has recorded seven season with 20 or more stolen bases. Last season he hit .326/.383/.458 with 11 home runs. Defensively he has won the Korean equivalent of the Gold Glove award four times.

The Korean left-handed batter is guaranteed $12.5 million over three years by the club, with options for the following two years that could increase the value of his contract to $22 million. Although this is a sizeable contract, it is less than what the Dodgers' cross-town rivals, the Los Angeles Angels, offered.

As per reports, the Los Angeles Angels had offered Kim a bigger contract of $28 million over five years and were frontrunners to sign him. However, the KBO star chose to join the more successful Los Angeles team.

The Angels and Dodgers have had contrasting recent histories. The Angels haven't had a winning season in the last ten years, despite having two all-time greats, Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, in their lineup for most of that period. Meanwhile, the Dodgers have won the National League West title each year since 2013, except for the 2021 season.

Team success could have prompted Hyeseong Kim to join the Dodgers. He joins an infield full of utility players who can move around the diamond. Currently he is expected to share a similar role with Chris Taylor and Miguel Rojas as backup players. Freddie Freeman (1B), Mookie Betts (SS) and Gavin Lux (2B) are expected starters in the lineup on Opening Day.

Shohei Ohtani's meeting with Hyeseong Kim might have prompted a change in decision

As a senior who has already gone through the process of being posted to the MLB from an Asian country, Shohei Ohtani shared his wisdom with Hyeseong Kim. According to Korean media reports, the Dodgers DH offered him some valuable advice.

After the move was made public, Ohtani personally drafted a special message, welcoming his 'friend' to the ballclub.

Ohtani is expected to form a close bond with his new Korean teammate, as will his countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Kim joins a long list of Asian players who have made Los Angeles their home.