Brewers should try to target soon-to-be-posted Korean defensive wizard this offseason

There's a hole in the Milwaukee Brewers infield that will need to be patched up this offseason. Willy Adames is leaving and there is not an immediate solution to that void on the left side of the infield.

It's expected that Joey Ortiz will slide over from third base to shortstop, given the recent comments of manager Pat Murphy, which would still leave a hole at third base. Just how will the Brewers fill it? There are trade possibilities but also free agent options. One new free agent option is about to hit the market.

On Wednesday, the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO are set to officially post infielder Hye-Seong Kim for MLB clubs, starting a 30 day window for Kim to find a team. The Milwaukee Brewers should look to get themselves involved in that market.

Why the Brewers should pursue Hye-Seong Kim

Milwaukee needs someone they can plug into the starting lineup on the left side of the infield alongside Joey Ortiz. Kim is soon to be 26 years old and has largely had experience in the two middle infield spots, but also has seen time at third base and the outfield. The Brewers do love defensive versatility.

Kim is a sure-handed defender as well, meaning the Brewers could simply try to sign Kim to be their starting shortstop next year and keep Joey Ortiz at third, where he was excellent. Defense is crucial to the Brewers philosophy and they likely wouldn't consider someone if they weren't an above-average defender. Luckily, Kim is.

Offensively, Kim doesn't bring a ton of power, but he does bring a lot of the things the Brewers do well, which is on-base ability and stolen base ability. Kim has between 20 and 46 stolen bases in each of the past six seasons. He'd fit right in with the Brewers run-happy approach on the bases.

Another positive for Kim is the fact that he's still very young and developing, which the Brewers do covet. He's just going to be entering his age 26 season, which will make him the same age as Joey Ortiz, William Contreras, and Garrett Mitchell. There could be more power to develop with Kim as well, but his present hitting ability, defense, speed, and athleticism should make him a very intriguing target for the Brewers front office.

A reunion with Adames is out of reach. While Kim may not go a long way to make up for the 32 home runs the Brewers are losing from the heart of their lineup, he will fill the void on defense, perhaps even improving the defense, and bringing a solid complementary bat to the lineup while other youngsters like Mitchell and Ortiz can get even better in 2025 to help pick up that slack in the offense.