San Diego Padres general manager AJ Preller showed openness to extending the contract of Gold Glove infielder Kim Ha-seong.
Preller shared his thoughts on Ha-seong Kim in an interview held at a general manager’s meeting held at a resort in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA on the 9th (Korean time). 토토사이트
“He is one of the best defenders,” said Preller, adding, “He is a player who can play multiple positions.
This season, he showed a very high level of defense, mainly watching second base. It showed what a high-level player he is.
He highly praised Kim Ha-seong, saying, “He brought energy to the team every day and showed good performance in attack.”
Ha-seong Kim showed good performance in both offense and defense in the 2023 season.
As a result, he was named a finalist for both the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards. Gold Glove confirmed the award in the utility category.
Preller said of Ha-Seong Kim’s Gold Glove win, “It’s great to see him recognized.
Having watched him every day, I think he is one of the best defenders.
He is a defender who can have an impact on the team,” he said in his congratulatory message.
Ha-seong Kim’s four-year contract expires after the 2024 season. There remains an option by mutual agreement for the 2025 season, but it is unlikely to be implemented.
When asked about the possibility of extending Kim Ha-seong’s contract, Preller said, “At the end of the season, we let him know how much we value him and how much San Diego wants him,” and added, “There will be more work to do on that issue over the next two months.”
There will be this. He said he plans to proceed with the discussion, saying, “I will discuss it with my agent and discuss it with the player and see what it looks like.”
How will it be used next season? “When you bring in a coach, you have to have a conversation with him,” Preller said, adding that the first step is to hire a coach.
He said, “There are many high-quality infielders on our team. Ha-seong Kim is also a player who can play many different positions.
He showed Gold Glove-level defense at shortstop last year and second base this year.
He continued, saying, “It’s a matter of conversation with the coach and the player about the position.”
San Diego currently has a vacant head coach position.
Mike Schilt and Ryan Flairty have been nominated internally, and LA Angels coach Benji Gill is being mentioned as an external candidate.
Preller, who has always recruited external personnel as a manager, showed that he is placing more emphasis on internal personnel, saying, “Having a good knowledge of the club situation and players will definitely be an advantage.”
In response to Mexican President Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador’s claim that Benji Gil, who coached the Mexican national team, should coach San Diego, he briefly replied, “I watched the video because another employee showed it to me.” He also noted, “Coach Gil led the team well in the WBC, and Mexican fans make up a large portion of our team’s fan base.”
He also shared his thoughts on Shohei Otani.
We were always aggressive against Ohtani.
He acknowledged interest in Ohtani, saying, “He was like that when he was an amateur, when he came to the major leagues, and even on the trade market.”
He described Ohtani as “a player that all 30 teams want” and said, “It is true that he has a unique element of being a double hitter.
I’ve heard many stories about how hard-working he is.
I think he will be able to do something special like double-hitting again,” he said, predicting that Ohtani will be able to double-hit as well again.