Korean star could be an interesting target for the Pirates as signing deadline nears

The posting window of 26-year-old middle infielder Hyeseong Kim from South Korea closes on Jan. 3; he must sign with an MLB team by 5 PM Eastern Time, or else he will have to stay in the KBO. The Pirates have not been rumored to be active in Kim's fairly mysterious market, but he would make sense for them to target.

After acquiring Spencer Horwitz, the infield has been among the least of Pittsburgh's concerns, as they have big holes in the bullpen and in right field. The projected middle infield for the Pirates is Nick Gonzales at second base and Isiah Kiner-Falefa at shortstop. The outlook of that sturdy group is not terrible, but Kiner-Falefa has been a below-average hitter his entire career, and it makes sense to utilize him as more of a utility guy rather than an everyday shortstop.

Gonzales took big steps towards becoming a solid major leaguer in 2024, but if he does not take another step forward, the Pirates will have a below-average middle infield, especially offensively. To avoid that, the Pirates should make an effort to sign Kim, who is a left-handed bat that pairs nicely with two right-handed sticks up the middle.

Additionally, Kim is looking for a multi-year deal, which would solve a hole at shortstop for next offseason, as Kiner-Falefa will be a free agent after this season.

The Pirates should target Hyeseong Kim to boost middle infield production.

It appears that Andrew McCutchen will be the leadoff hitter for the Pirates, but Kim would be a much better fit for that spot in the lineup. In his eight seasons in the KBO, Kim has stolen 211 bases and owns a career on-base percentage of .364. In fact, his on-base percentage in his last two seasons sat at .390. Those numbers specifically would fit right into the leadoff spot, as he brings a lot of speed and solid plate discipline.

Last season, Kim belted 11 home runs, 26 doubles, and four triples to generate a slugging percentage of .458. That paired with an on-base percentage of .383 to create an OPS of .841. Additionally, he struck out at an impressive rate of just 10.9%, posted a wRC+ of 118, and stole 30 bases.

Securing a young star from overseas seems like a good idea for the Pirates. It is not out of the ordinary for them to try to target international players, as they showed interest in Shōta Imanaga last offseason. The Pirates do not have much time left to send an offer out to Kim, but they absolutely should to boost the lineup.