As the Dodgers wrapped up spring training, their Opening Day roster was almost decided. Well, except for the second base, where Hyeseong Kim and Alex Freeland were the main contenders. With Freeland’s .116 AVG and Kim’s .407, the choice seemed obvious. But the club walked a different way, a path that suggests Kim’s time away for WBC glory came at a steep price.

“I’ve always said I don’t evaluate completely through spring training,” manager Dave Roberts stated, trying to justify the unprecedented decision.

The competition for the second base was a real turf war among Kim, Freeland, Miguel Rojas, and Santiago Espinal during spring training. Espinal was a non-roster invitee who has been finalized as a utility player. Rojas is the guaranteed veteran who made the spot they were all fighting for.

Alex Freeland will be responsible for facing the RHPs while Rojas takes on the left-handers. And what happens to Hyeseong Kim? Well, he has been demoted to Triple-A. And the manager’s reasoning makes it a bit odd. 

“I think the only thing that hurt him is that he wasn’t around our guys to build on some of the stuff they were working through,” a Dodger Blue article quoted Roberts. “I’m happy he went and played for his country, but I do think that not having our guys on him daily was a little bit of a detriment.”

Hyeseong Kim left the MLB camp to participate in the WBC for South Korea. He played four games before he was sidelined due to an injury in his left hand. While representing the nation is considered one of the biggest honors in sports, Kim is being penalized for it. 

Kim finished last year with a .280/.314/.385 slash line resulting in a .699 OPS. This spring, he slashed .407/.447/.519, resulting in a .967 OPS. Yet he was not included in the MLB roster. And it was because he played only 9 games this spring, missing a majority of them. 

The ‘doc’ said that he doesn’t evaluate players purely on spring performance. We have already seen him put his faith in Roki Sasaki despite his spring training struggles. Kim’s biggest issue was that he couldn’t work with the staff during the spring. And it was crucial for the regular season. That’s why Freeland was picked, overlooking his spring training struggles.

However, it might not be as simple as a demotion for being absent from the exhibition games. The Dodgers may have bigger plans for Kim. 

Hyeseong Kim’s minor league demotion a development strategy

Manager Dave Roberts has tried to give the demotion of Hyeseong Kim a positive spin. According to Roberts, his being optioned is not about losing a roster spot. Rather, it’s more about offering him more playing time. 

“I think the driver, as far as at the outset, was giving Hyeseong an opportunity to play every day, play all over the diamond, play some short, some center, some second base there, whereas here he wouldn’t have the runway to play more frequently,” said Roberts. 

It was apparent that even if he was named in the Opening Day roster, he might not have received regular playtime. But in the minor league, Kim can get regular at-bats. He will also get a chance to work with the staff on a regular basis. 

Roberts further added that, “The driver is him playing six days a week and logging a considerable number of at-bats, which he wouldn’t get here.”

The Dodgers are prioritizing building rhythm here so that Kim can become more versatile defensively. And he can be more impactful when bigger opportunities arrive. 

While the decision reads like a demotion for Hyeseong Kim, Robert has opted for a tactical move here. The Dodgers are aiming to create a complete profile for the 27-year-old. It might offer crucial responsibilities for Kim, and he might take on a central role in the postseason.