In February, the Tampa Bay Rays signed shortstop Ha Seong Kim to a two-year contract worth $29 million, the biggest contract ever given to a Rays free agent at the time. The contract was worth $13 million this season, with a player option for $29 million next season.
Kim was signed to improve the defense and offensive production at the shortstop position. When the Rays signed Kim, he was recuperating from off-season shoulder surgery. This signing was a disaster from the beginning and is one of the worst signings in the history of the Rays.
Kim did not make his Rays debut until July 4th. The nagging injuries continued throughout the early part of the season as Kim was placed on the IL in July after making his Rays debut with a back issue. After playing just 24 games between his stints on the IL, he would return to the lineup in late August. Kim ended his brief Rays tenure hitting .214 with two homers and five runs batted in in 84 at-bats.
Erik Neander said three main factors drove the decision to put Kim on waivers: Kim’s struggles with injuries this season, the Rays’ outside playoff position right now, and the emergence of prospect Carson Williams.
The Rays want to use this season’s final month to evaluate Williams at the MLB level. Williams has already eclipsed Kim’s production. In 28 at-bats, Williams is hitting .259 with one homer and eight runs batted in. There is no guarantee that Taylor Walls will return this season, so Williams will play shortstop most of the time for the remainder of the season.
Neander added, “If we were 10 games over .500, Ha-Seong Kim’s not on waivers. I think if we’re 10 over, this isn’t a consideration. We’re running it out. But we are not. We’re under two games, and you must be responsive to that. It’s not just this move that has influenced some of the opportunities we’ve given to players here recently.”
Manager Kevin Cash talked about the opportunity for Carson Williams for the rest of the season: “For Carson, this is going to be an opportunity to get out there for 30 games and learn your way a little bit more at the big league level than maybe what we had originally anticipated. We know he’s talented, but this game’s tough.”
Williams said that he is still learning at the big league level: “It’s just a learning process right now. I want to take this next month and try to help this team win as much as possible, and along the way, try to get better at the things I want to improve on.”
The Rays are currently on a five-game winning streak and will play the final game of a three-game series against Seattle Wednesday night at Steinbrenner Field.