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Phillies Reportedly Interested in Ha-Seong Kim
By Luke Arcaini
Published:
The Phillies are interested in veteran utilityman Ha-Seong Kim, according to Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia:
The left side of the Phillies infield, at this moment in time, is about as questionable as it can be. They don’t have a third baseman, with Alec Bohm and Edmundo Sosa on the free agent market. Their shortstop, Trea Turner, isn’t a guaranteed lock to play the position in 2027.
Aidan Miller, the #1 position player prospect in the Phillies’ organization, will take one of those two spots next season, if everything goes according to plan. The Phillies will not rush Miller, and they shouldn’t. But Miller is nearly a guarantee to take down Major League infield innings in the upcoming season.
Edmundo Sosa has been the swiss army knife of the Phillies for the last five years, coming over from the St. Louis Cardinals at the 2022 trade deadline. Sosa, now a free agent, could gauge everyday interest from teams around the league. There is no guarantee that he returns.
The Phillies will need infield depth, especially once it’s confirmed that Bohm and Sosa are headed elsewhere. Kim, 31, is looking for a bounce-back season after being a consistently solid role player for the Padres from 2021 to 2024. Kim has dealt with injuries the last two years, and only played 51 games for the Atlanta Braves in 2026 due to finger surgery.
Kim totaled a -0.7 WAR in that time for Atlanta, hitting .116/.219/.140. The Phillies would be hoping for a resurgence of the player that posted a 15.1 WAR in four years with the Padres. Kim can play anywhere across the infield, having logged over 70 games at third base, 130+ games at second base, and 390+ games at shortstop.
I think there are other directions the Phillies could go here. It feels like “bounce back” has been the phrase of the last four offseasons. If Kim can find his stroke at the plate again, then he’d be the perfect player for the Phillies. But it’s another “if” player for the Phillies, which hasn’t worked in their favor over the last few years.
Mauricio Dubon would be a more interesting target, but Dubon could be looking for a multi-year deal this offseason. With Trea Turner still owed 7 more years, and Aidan Miller on the rise, the Phillies could be hesitant to give an infielder a multi-year deal, when their main focus needs to remain on the corner outfield positions.
Luke Arcaini has been writing about the Phillies for 6 seasons, and is now in his 2nd year covering for Phillies down at Citizens Bank Park for Crossing Broad. Follow him on Twitter @ArcainiLuke