Seoul: The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) has formally requested Major League Baseball (MLB) to post South Korean star infielder Kim Hye-seong, making him available to all 30 big league clubs. The announcement follows the Kiwoom Heroes' request on Wednesday morning, with the KBO confirming the posting shortly thereafter.According to Yonhap News Agency, MLB.com reported early Wednesday morning Korean Standard Time that the Kiwoom Heroes were expected to post Kim around noon Eastern Time on Wednesday. Kim, who plays as a second baseman for the Heroes, is currently training in Los Angeles, facilitated by his U.S. agency, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), in anticipation of the posting process.Once a KBO player is posted, an agreement between the KBO and MLB allows any of the 30 MLB clubs to negotiate with the player within a 30-day window. For Kim, this negotiating period is set to commence at 8 a.m. ET on Thursday, concluding at 5 p.m. ET on January 3, 2025. Should Kim be unsuccessful in securing a contract during this period, he cannot be posted again until November 1, 2025.Kim, 25, expressed his aspirations to join the major leagues late last year, and the Heroes confirmed in January that they would post him after the 2024 KBO season. Kim achieved a remarkable offensive performance in 2024, recording career highs with 11 home runs, 75 RBIs, and a .458 slugging percentage. He also maintained a batting average of .326 and stole 30 bases, marking his seventh consecutive season with at least 20 steals.Having debuted in the KBO in 2017 and establishing himself as a regular player in 2018, Kim boasts a career batting line of .306/.364/.403 with 211 steals, the highest in the KBO since 2018. His defensive prowess at second base was recognized with his second consecutive KBO Fielding Award in 2024.In the event of a player's transfer to MLB through posting, KBO teams receive a "release fee," calculated based on the guaranteed portion of the player's contract. The fee structure is tiered, with a base 20 percent on the first $25 million, 17.5 percent on the next $25 million, and 15 percent on amounts exceeding $50 million.The Kiwoom Heroes have previously posted four players to MLB, including former Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Kang Jung-ho and former Minnesota Twins infielder Park Byung-ho. Recent additions include free agent Kim Ha-seong, previously with the San Diego Padres, and San Francisco Giants outfielder Lee Jung-hoo.
- September 13, 2026
