Dodgers utility addition could start the season in the minors if hitting doesn’t improve

When the Los Angeles Dodgers signed KBO product Hyeseong Kim during an exceptionally busy offseason, the expectation was that he would be their starting second baseman. However, after seeing a brief sample of Kim's offensive production (or lack thereof) in spring training, manager Dave Roberts is already beginning to have some doubts.

A decorated defensive star with four KBO Gold Glove Awards, Kim has left little doubt that he can handle second base responsibilities at the MLB level. His bat, however, is giving Roberts pause as he prepares to make the jump to face Major League pitching.

“Defensively, I think it’ll be very seamless,” Roberts told reporters last week. “Offensively, there’s certainly more velocity. Controlling, getting his path right. Being able to handle balls that move late, handle velocity, use the whole field. He’s going to put the ball in play. He can run. I just think he needs repetition. So we’re going to try to get him out there as much as we can (in Cactus League games) to calibrate on big-league stuff. But he’s already shown me that he’s a quick study, and he’s got aptitude.”

Dodgers defensive standout Hyeseong Kim could start the season in the minors if hitting doesn’t improve during spring training

Jack Harris of the LA Times reported Tuesday that Roberts had "left open the possibility" of Kim beginning the 2025 season in the minors, noting that Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes had also been "noncommittal" about where Kim would start the year.

"I think that he can certainly win ballgames with his defense alone," Roberts said of Kim. "Then the question is the development part. What’s good for him? What’s good for the Dodgers? And that, we don’t have to answer right now."

If Kim doesn't break camp with the Dodgers, they have no shortage of options to replace him on the 26-man Opening Day roster. As it stands now, veteran utility man Chris Taylor and outfielders Andy Pages, James Outman and Eddie Rosario are all battling for the final two roster spots. Outman and Rosario both bat left-handed, which could make them theoretical replacements for Kim in the lineup.

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