Rays' Ha-Seong Kim signing a sneaky good move

The Rays signing Kim fills the shortstop hole left by Wander Franco's sudden downfall with legal issues shortly after he earned an All-Star Game appearance during the 2023 season. Jose Caballero and Taylor Walls split the majority of time at shortstop last season for the Rays, with the duo combining for 3.0 bWAR, just slightly over the 2.6 posted by Kim in 403 at-bats.

That Walls-Caballero duo is expected to fill the gap at shortstop until Kim is ready to take over this season. Once he does, he joins Yandy Diaz (first base), Brandon Lowe (second base), and Junior Caminero (third base) to give the Rays arguably one of the top two infields in the American League East.

While Kim will likely benefit the Rays in 2025 (and perhaps beyond, depending on the opt-out), taking him off the board prevented him from going to a division rival, the New York Yankees. The Yankees could have used a utility infielder like Kim to boost their roster.

The move also allows the Rays not to rush top prospect Carson Williams to Tampa before he is ready. The 21-year-old shortstop prospect was the 28th overall pick in the 2021 MLB draft and hit 20 homers while stealing 33 bases in 433 Double-A at-bats last season.

Regarding price and stability, the Rays' decision to bring Kim to Tampa may eventually be viewed as one of the most cost-effective moves of the offseason.