The San Francisco Giants have several ways to improve this offseason, but they need another middle infield player. If the Giants could sign a midfield player who could provide them with value offensively, this roster would look a lot different in 2025.

Over the past few months, rumors have suggested that San Francisco is interested in Ha-Seong Kim. He would be the solution to some of their problems in the middle.

Kim is an interesting player because he’s not elite offensively. Still, he could be of great use to the Giants.

If they were to land the San Diego Padres infielder, it wouldn’t be considered a bad decision. In fact, fans should be happy if they signed him.

However, there might be one thing stopping San Francisco from landing him. Kim is eligible for a qualifying offer, and pending him declining his $8 million mutual option, there is a scenario in which the Padres could sign him to a QO.

He may not be worth the $21.05 million he would be paid, but San Diego spent a lot of money on free agents.

Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com explained the benefits of offering a qualifying offer, but the draft aspect may not be worth the risk for the Padres, given the price they would have to pay.

“Teams may extend a qualifying offer to certain free agents each offseason. Players who accept sign a one-year contract for the following season at the stated value (set at $21.05 million for 2025). Those who do not accept remain free agents, and if a new team signs them, their old team receives draft pick compensation.

It will be interesting to see what his market looks like, especially with his end-of-season trade.

Despite this, he has been an above-average player in his young MLB career, which should help him land a decent-sized contract in free agency.

“Kim has been a key player for the Padres over the past four seasons (15.3 WAR), combining superb defense with solid base-stealing production and about league-average hitting. Although he expected to be sidelined in the 2025 season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder on Oct. 10, Kim will likely decline his 2025 mutual option for $8 million ($2 million buyout). dollars).”

The Giants need to keep all doors open this winter, and with the rumors surrounding Kim, his stay in California could be in the works.