Brewers insider's proposed Gold Glove acquisition has some real problems

Everyone and their mother knows by now that the Milwaukee Brewers are in need of an upgrade to their 2025 infield before the free-agent market dries up. The club is officially going to be in "life without Willy Adames" mode after the star signed with the Giants and most agree that Joey Ortiz shifting over to shortstop to fill the void in 2025 is the most likely outcome.

The need for some new blood is obvious. Ortiz showed potential in his first full season in 2024, but he's not exactly going to come with the same amount of star power as Adames.

Over the course of the past four years, the San Diego Padres have had one of the better and underrated utility infielders in the game in Ha-Seong Kim. According to MLB.com's Brewers beat writer Adam McCalvy, Kim is the perfect realistic free-agent fit for the Crew, but it's hard to ignore just how imperfect the fit truly is.

MLB.com's ideal Brewers free agent fit, Ha-Seong Kim, comes with significant risk

Kim, 29, is set to begin the 2025 season on the shelf while he recovers from a right shoulder injury that ended his 2024 in mid-August. Since his year was cut short, he's a candidate for a one or two year deal in free agency so he can rebuild his value.

Of course, Kim throws with his right arm and the shoulder injury that required surgery could seriously hinder his ability to competently play shortstop or third base on a regular basis in Milwaukee. Both of these positions, two of the ones where he's best at on defense, require a strong and accurate throwing arm in order to excel.

Since the Brewers are in much more of an "offense over defense" market this winter, Kim's bat also doesn't feel like it'd be enough for them heading into the 2025 campaign. He's only posted an OPS+ north of 100 (league-average) twice in four years and his single season OPS has never topped .749, which doesn't exactly instill a ton of confidence that he'd bring a strong stick to Milwaukee.

This past season, Kim hit 11 home runs while driving in 47 across 121 games. His average dipped to .233 and his OPS was right at .700 when that shoulder injury wiped out the rest of his year. This is exactly why he's a short-term contract candidate but also why he's not fully worth it for the Brewers based on where they're supposed to be looking on the open market.

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