News of the trade of Kim Ha-sung (29, San Diego Padres) is resurfacing in the summer. If his team suffers from poor performance, there is a possibility that Kim Ha-sung will leave the team.

Sports media “The Athletic” analyzed the players needed for the team on the 13th (Korea Standard Time), referring to “the Cleveland Guardians’ notable position ahead of the trade deadline.”

Cleveland is currently No. 1 in the American League Central with 43 wins and 23 losses (0.652). It is currently leading by 5.5 games, widening its gap with the Kansas City Royals, who are in second place.

In the lineup, Jose Ramirez is playing with 18 home runs and an OPS of 0.877, and leadoff Steven Kwan is performing well with a batting average of 0.380 despite injury. Utility player David Fry is outstanding with a batting average of 0.321, eight home runs and an OPS of 1.017, and first baseman Josh Naylor is batting .226, but he is batting productive with 17 home runs.

However, the position of shortstop still remains a weakness. As predicted by 토토사이트, both Brian Locchio and Gabriel Arias have shown inconspicuous performances this season. Roccio has a batting average of 0.213 with one homer, 11 RBIs, seven steals, and an OPS of 0.603, while Arias has a batting average of 0.214 with two homers, 11 RBIs and 0.581 with an OPS. The wRC+ (adjusted scoring capacity) of the shortstop position is 87, ranking 25th among the 30 teams in the Major League.

As a result, Cleveland may consider recruiting Kim Ha-sung to reinforce its shortstop position. With the trade deadline approaching, whether Kim Ha-sung will be transferred will receive great attention.

Kim Ha-sung draws attention as candidate to reinforce Cleveland shortstop… highly likely to trade

The media said, “It is still unclear who Andres Jimenez’s partner will be over the next few years,” adding, “Instead of looking for candidates from within, we can consider strengthening the lineup’s black hole-like shortstop position in the short term.”

In addition, he said, “The Toronto Blue Jays’ Bo Bissett is a big name, but it is unclear whether Toronto will let him go at the trade deadline,” adding, “If the San Diego Padres are eliminated from the playoff race, Kim Ha-sung could be an interesting option.”

Currently, Kim has a batting average of 0.222 (53 hits in 239 times at bat), nine homers, 34 RBIs, 36 runs scored, 14 stolen bases and an OPS of 0.729, in 71 games this season. His batting average has decreased from last year’s 0.260 mark, but his key indicators such as home runs and stolen bases are still strong. At the current pace, he seems to be able to achieve 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases.

Kim Ha-sung’s chances of trading are higher than ever. He signed a four-year contract worth 28 million U.S. dollars (up to 32 million dollars including options) with the San Diego Padres ahead of the 2021 season, and this year marks his last year of contract. Kim Ha-sung, who will soon become a free agent, is expected to attract attention from various teams due to his “half-year rental.”

Kim Ha-sung reignites trade rumors… Cleveland is also interested

The possibility of Kim Ha-sung’s trade has been raised several times since the end of the last season. “We discussed a lot of players during this winter,” San Diego Padres President A.J. Preller said in an interview with MLB.com on the 2nd. “We didn’t block inquiries about any players, but we didn’t actively pursue a trade.”

This is because Kim Ha-sung performed well last year. As a key second baseman, he hit .260 with 17 home runs, 60 RBIs, 84 runs scored, 38 steals, and an OPS of 0.749 in 152 games, setting a new record for most stolen bases in a single season for a Korean major leaguer. In addition, he played second, shortstop, and third baseman, showing his above-average defensive performance, and won the Gold Glove in the National League Utility category.

With the San Diego Padres and Kim Ha-sung unable to sign an extension, more and more teams are looking to bring in low-cost Gold Glove Award-winning infielders. They are expected to put in an offer for San Diego ahead of the trade deadline at the end of July. The Cleveland Guardians are one of them, as Choo Shin-soo played from 2006 to 2012, which is well known to Korean fans.