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| San Diego Padres infielder Kim Ha-seong speaks to reporters at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, Jan. 27. Yonhap |
San Diego Padres infielder Kim Ha-seong said Friday he wasn't worried about having a short training camp with the national team ahead of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March, choosing to look on the brighter side despite limitations imposed by his club commitments.
Kim departed for Arizona on Friday to gear up for his third major league season with the Padres. The South Korean national team will also set up shop in Arizona to prepare for the March 8-21 WBC, but Kim won't be able to join the team until the Seoul portion of training camp, starting on March 1.
For the Padres, WBC-bound position players must report by Feb. 16, and they will have their first full-squad workout on Feb. 21. South Korea's Arizona camp runs from Feb. 14 to 27.
Earlier Friday, national team manager Lee Kang-chul, who boarded the same flight as Kim, said he didn't expect to have Kim and other major leaguers on the national team until March 2 at the earliest. South Korea's first WBC game is March 9 against Australia in Tokyo.
Tommy Edman of the St. Louis Cardinals, a half-Korean player eligible under WBC rules, and Choi Ji-man of the Pittsburgh Pirates are the two other big leaguers for South Korea.
Kim and Edman, two defensive stalwarts, will form a double play duo as shortstop and second baseman, but they will only get to play two official practice games together in Japan before the WBC. The rest of the national team will play unofficial scrimmages while in Arizona.
Though it's far from an ideal situation, Kim said he and Edman should be able to hit the ground running.
"Edman is such a great player that I have zero concerns about our on-field chemistry," Kim told reporters at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. "If we can gobble up grounders and get outs, it will help our pitchers a great deal."
Kim spent seven seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) before signing with the Padres ahead of the 2021 season. All but Kim, Edman and Choi on the national team are KBO players.
"Although I won't be in the national team camp in Arizona, I don't anticipate problems because I've played with most of those guys in the KBO," Kim said. "I will try to get into great form before I join them in Korea."
This will be Kim's second WBC appearance. He was one of the youngest members of the 2017 team that crashed out of the first round.
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| San Diego Padres infielder Kim Ha-seong speaks to reporters at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, Jan. 27. Yonhap |
"Back then, I didn't really know anything," said Kim, now 27. "Now, I am one of the senior guys, and I feel a sense of responsibility."
In this year's tournament, South Korea will face Australia, Japan, China and the Czech Republic in Pool B. The top two teams after round-robin action will reach the quarterfinals. Japan, world No. 1 and one of the pre-tournament favorites, will dole out major league stars, such as Shohei Ohtani and Yu Darvish, in front of home fans. All Pool B games will be at Tokyo Dome.
"In a short tournament like the WBC, anything can happen," Kim said. "We will do our best to beat Japan."
Kim is also walking into a crowded infield situation for the Padres. He was a Gold Glove finalist at shortstop last year, after taking over from Fernando Tatis Jr., who missed all of 2022 with an injury and then a suspension over a banned substance. He will return for 2023, and in the meantime, the Padres signed All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year deal this offseason.
With a surplus of middle infielders in San Diego, Kim has been subject to some trade rumors. If he is not dealt, Kim will likely move to second base, a position he played in 21 games in 2021 but none in 2022, while Tatis moves to the outfield to make room for Bogaerts at shortstop.
Kim said Padres general manager A.J. Preller had told him he will be playing at second base often in 2023 and added, "I have no problem playing second base."
As for his trade speculation, Kim said: "I think we have the best infield in the majors. Those rumors came out because I am battling for playing time in such a competitive infield. I didn't have any issues with those rumors whatsoever." (Yonhap)
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