"You paid $29 million for a year and a half" - MLB insider drops no-holds-barred take on Ha-Seong Kim’s shocking deal with Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays emerged as the surprising winners in the Ha-Seong Kim sweepstakes. The former San Diego Padres utility man was projected to land elsewhere. Instead, the Rays swooped in and added him for two years at $29 million.

The Rays were not competitive last season and they haven't done much aside from trading a starting pitcher away this offseason, so this move surprised both Robert Flores and Harold Reynolds.

"If Ha-Seong Kim gets off to a really good start, don't be surprised if the Rays flip him at the deadline," Flores said (1:20).

Reynolds was not a fan of the move. He noted that shoulder surgery could prevent Kim from playing Opening Day, and he's almost assuredly not going to opt out of what is likely to be his highest AAV deal possible.

"He'll come back in May. To me, that's half a season... so basically, you paid $29 million for a year and a half," Reynolds said.

Flores disagreed that Kim would automatically opt into the final year, but Reynolds thinks that he'll be on this contract for the duration of its two seasons no matter what.

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Ha-Seong Kim set to be the highest-paid player on the Rays

The decision to sign Ha-Seong Kim was an interesting one for the Rays. They're an analytical organization, and Kim is, as Harold Reynolds said in the above video, a "sabermetrics darling."

However, the Rays aren't in a position to be adding much right now given the state of their team and the division they compete in.

Ha-Seong Kim signed with the Rays (Imagn)

Also, he's on a fairly expensive deal for a team that doesn't give those out. In fact, should the deal pass all physicals and checks, Kim will be the highest-paid player for the Rays in 2025.

Kim's $13 million salary in 2025 trumps that of everyone on the payroll aside from Wander Franco, but he isn't on the team right now due to serious legal issues. Aside from him, no one makes more than Kim.

In fact, no one else on the team besides Franco makes more double digits. Everyone else is under $10 million AAV, with Danny Jansen, another 2025 signing, making $8.5 million as the most under Kim.