Shohei Ohtani drops three-word reaction to Hyeseong Kim's 3-year, $12,500,000 deal with Los Angeles Dodgers

Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto will have another Asian ballplayer as their teammate in LA as the Dodgers completed the signing of KBO superstar Hyeseong Kim on a three-year, $12.5 million deal on Friday.

The South Korean infielder played for the Kiwoom Heroes in the Korean Baseball League and was also named the player of the season in 2024. Kim's deal with the Dodgers involves two club options for 2028 and 2029.

Three-time MVP Shohei Ohtani welcomed the South Korean star to LA with a three-word reaction on social media.

"Welcome my friend," read the translated caption on Instagram.

Screenshot from the story on Instagram

Hyeseong Kim joins LAD after playing six seasons with the Kiwoom Heroes and two years with the Nexen Heroes in the KBO. During six years with Kiwoom, he registered a .309 batting average, 32 home runs, 339 RBIs, and 280 stolen bases.

The 25-year-old produced one of his best seasons in the KBO in 2024 after registering a .326 batting average, 11 home runs, 75 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases in 127 games. He has won the Gold Glove award in the Korean Baseball League thrice and was also the league leader in stolen bases in 2021.

The left-handed slugger joins a stacked Dodgers roster that won their eighth Fall Classic title in 2024.

Hyeseong Kim will attempt to solve the infield conundrum for the Dodgers in 2025

Many ballclubs were in the mix to sign Kim, including the San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Angels, Chicago White Sox, and Seattle Mariners.

Hyeseong Kim ultimately sidelined all the other ballclubs and signed a multi-year contract with the Dodgers. He will look to slot into the infield and being a right-handed thrower can be influential at both shortstop and second base.

Mookie Betts can play both at shortstop and second base while Tommy Edman is another influential INF and has re-signed a long-term contract with the ballclub. The other options are utility player Chris Taylor, INF Miguel Rojas, and Gavin Lux.

With Max Muncy taking third base and Freddie Freeman at first, it all comes down to, who will take the remaining two important defensive positions at shortstop and second base for LAD next season.