Why did the super agency that gave Major League Baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani (LA Dodgers) a $700 million (approx. KRW 96.5 billion) contract for the 2024 season snatch up Kim Hye-sung (Kiwoom Heroes)?
Kim Hye-sung signed an official contract with global sports agency CAA Sports on the afternoon of March 3 at the Grand Hyatt Seoul in Hannam-dong.
The signing ceremony was attended by Kim, CAA Sports’ baseball agent Mike Nickis, CAA Stellar Korea representative Jang Ji-young, and vice president Woo Joong-gun. The signing was led by CAA Baseball’s Nez Valero, agent Mike Nickis, and CAA Stellar Korea’s Jang Young Jang and Joong Gun Woo.
Mr. Nez Valero is best known as the agent of Shohei Ohtani (LA Dodgers) and has been a key figure in supporting Ohtani’s entry into the major leagues and successful career. The super-agent is known for helping Ohtani win a 10-year, 카지노사이트 $700 million jackpot with the National League West champions last December. Valero welcomed the “newest member of the family” in the video.
In addition to Ohtani,
One of the brightest stars in North American professional sports, CAA Sports counts Heung-min Son, Faker, NBA’s Chris Paul, and PGA’s Rory McIlroy among its clients. Why did such a super agency offer Kim a contract?
“She has so many good tools,” said agent Mike Nickis, who we met on the 3rd. I think a lot of major league clubs will be attracted to her.” ”She excels in all areas of offense, defense, and base running. She has a lot of speed, so I think she can steal a lot of bases in the U.S. Also, she can play a lot of different positions on defense, whether it’s the infield or outfield. She is an attractive player who can provide diversity to the team.”
CAA Sports has reportedly had its eye on Kim for quite some time. After watching her perform at international tournaments such as the Tokyo Olympics and WBC, and seeing her hit during the Seoul Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in March, 온라인 슬롯 CAA Sports began the signing process in earnest with a video conference with the player in April.
“I’ve been watching her since the Tokyo Olympics and WBC, but it was the Seoul Series that made the biggest impression on me,” says Nikis. At that time, Kim Hye-sung took a fastball from Bobby Miller (LA Dodgers) and hit a long ball,” explained Nikis.
CAA Sports also appreciated Kim’s personality.
“I had a chance to talk to her downstairs before the convention, and I was amazed at how humble and down-to-earth she is, even though she’s a star. She’s always been so sincere about baseball, and it made me want to help her succeed. She is a good player and person. I appreciate the fact that she is so dedicated to baseball.”
Kim became the first KBO player to win a Golden Glove as a shortstop in 2021 and a second baseman in 2022. Last year, she won the Gold Glove at second base, making it three consecutive Golden Glove wins.
How will this versatility appeal to Major League Baseball teams?
“Her defense can be recognized as an overall statistic rather than a second baseman or shortstop,” Nikis said. She’s already won a Golden Glove (at both positions),” he said, adding, ”When she gets to the majors, if a team needs a shortstop, she can play shortstop, if they need a second baseman, she can play second. She will be an attractive player with a variety of options.”
Kim realized her professional dream after graduating from Dongsan High School and being selected by Nexen with the 7th pick in the second round of the 2017 rookie draft. In her first-team career, Kim batted .940 with 34 home runs, 342 RBIs, 196 doubles and 536 runs scored in 876 games, and in her seventh year last year, she batted .335 with seven home runs, 57 RBIs and 25 doubles in 137 games, including a career-high 25 doubles, and was named to the national teams for the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March, the Hangzhou Asian Games in September and the Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) in November. 에볼루션 바카라사이트 He served as the captain of the Asian Games and APBC, both of which were age-group tournaments.
After meeting with Kiwoom general manager Ko Hyung-wook and manager Hong Won-ki, Kim was allowed to try out for the major leagues through the posting system in January.