3 cheap offseason signings Mariners botched to improve 2025 roster

IF Hyeseong Kim

While we've yet to see how he'll fare in a 162-game MLB season, there's a lot to be excited about when it comes to Kim. His free agency was heavily overshadowed by Roki Sasaki's but fans were excited about his future nonetheless. The Mariners were reported to be one of the final teams in the running for his services but ultimately a deal with Seattle failed to materialize.

There was a good chance that he would bring stability to the revolving door that is the Mariners' middle infield and would also bring three major tools to the team: bat-to-ball skills, footspeed, and defense. While the team already has a good amount of the latter two thanks to Julio Rodríguez and Dylan Moore, Kim's contact abilities would help a team whose batting average of .224 last season was just .003 better than the worst team in MLB, the Chicago White Sox.

Los Angeles was able to secure Kim on a three-year contract for just $12.5 million, a deal that could end up being the steal of the decade if he's as productive as he was in KBO, where he hit .304 in eight seasons. For context, the value of his entire contract is equal to what Mitch Garver will be owed for the 2025 season alone.

It's hard to say whether the Mariners ever really had a chance or if Kim was set on signing with the Dodgers. It's also worth repeating that we've yet to see exactly how he'll translate his skillset to baseball in the United States. Former teammate Ha-Seong Kim has done exceptionally well but every player is different. We haven't seen world-changing numbers in spring training so far but it's still early. If Hyeseong Kim does end up being a 2-3 rWAR player each year for the duration of his current contract, it will be one of the biggest "what-ifs" from this offseason.