The 'villain' Dodgers, who can never see 'mainstream Kim Hye-sung' bloodless, and Hiura and Kike are overlapping resources 'in line'

*This content was translated by AI.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, which are seeking to win their third consecutive World Series title, do not seem to have any intention of watching Korean "utility man" Kim Hye-sung (27) as the main player. Ahead of the full-fledged opening of the spring camp, it signaled a stifling competition by reducing utility resources.

According to the Major League's official website MLB.com and the U.S. sports media The Athletic, the Dodgers announced on the 13th (Korea time) the recruitment of free agent Kique Hernandez (35), who played for the Dodgers in the 2025 season. It is a condition of 4.5 million dollars per year (approximately 6.5 billion won) for the contract period.

The Dodgers' strengthening of their depth did not stop there. On the same day, the Dodgers even brought its infielder Keston Hiura (30). Although it is a minor league contract, they decided to give an opportunity by giving them the right to invite them to the Major League spring camp.

All of them are overlapping resources that compete directly with Kim Hye-sung. In particular, Kiké Hernández is a symbol of the "winning DNA" that contributed to the Dodgers' World Series victory with his impact (17 RBIs in 17 games) in the postseason and his defense ability to play all positions inside and outside despite his poor batting average of 0.203 in the 2025 season. .

In addition, the Dodgers' infield depth became extremely hot as Hiura, who was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers as the ninth overall pick in the first round in the 2017 Major League Rookie Draft, joined the team. Hiura played in eight major league games in the 2025 season for the Colorado Rockies, with a batting average of only 0.222, but has a solid career enough to play in 302 major league games. The personal OPS (on-base plus slugging) is not bad at 0.756 days.

in the run-up to the last 2025 seasonIt is not very pleasant news for Kim Hye-sung, who entered the big league by signing a three-year contract with Juss. Kim Hye-sung proved his possibility by hitting 0.280 and 13 steals in the regular league in his debut season despite bad injuries. Although the OPS was slightly lower at 0.699, he raised expectations for the 2026 season by showing off his defensive range and fast focus as a second baseman.

However, the Dodgers' move is harsh. In fact, Kim Hye-sung is not recognized as the main player. Following the existing Miguel Rojas (37) and Tommy Edman (31), Kike and Hiura will join, with at least five players competing in the second baseman position alone. Cicke Hernandez is likely to start on the injured list due to elbow surgery, but there is even a top infield prospect named Alex Freeland (25).

There are some variables. Miguel Rojas has announced his plan to retire from active duty at the end of the 2026 season, and Edman is expected to start late in the 2026 season due to rehabilitation of an ankle injury. The reason why the Dodgers persistently fill the depth is interpreted as a calculation to completely block these small power deviation variables.

In the end, the only way left for Kim Hye-sung is to show "overwhelming viability." The Dodgers are a team with coolness like a "villain" that can boldly send key players to the bench as needed. He also released Chris Taylor (36) and catcher Austin Barnes (37) during the season last season. Nevertheless, attention is also being paid to whether Kim Hye-sung will be able to survive with the Dodgers in the 2026 season in such a tough situation.

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*This content was translated by AI.