Red Sox's 'Contingency Plan' After Alex Bregman Could Be This Ex-Padres Gold Glover

You'd be hard-pressed to find a Boston Red Sox fan this week who feels optimistic about the team's chances of landing Alex Bregman.

Aug 11, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim (7) hits a ground-rule double against the Miami Marlins during the ninth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Red Sox need at least one more right-handed bat to feel confident about their 2025 lineup, and Bregman is an obvious fit to become that bat. But the two-time All-Star is trying to squeeze as many dollars and years out of free agency as possible, and the competition seems to be willing to offer more than Boston is at this point.

Say Bregman signs elsewhere - perhaps even with the Red Sox's division rivals, the Toronto Blue Jays. Will Boston be content to enter Spring Training with no further free-agent acquisitions?

If not, NESN's Jason Ounpraseuth has a potential solution: former San Diego Padres Gold Glove utility infielder Ha Seong Kim, who is still a free agent and likely won't be ready to play until the end of April thanks to offseason shoulder surgery.

"Kim remains a free agent despite being one of the top defensive infielders in baseball," Ounpraseuth wrote. "That’s likely because he underwent shoulder surgery near the end of the 2024 season and his status for Opening Day 2025 is in doubt."

"Still, when healthy, Kim is a versatile team-first player who raises the floor of your defense, something Boston really needed the last two seasons. His offense is average but playing at Fenway Park could give him a small boost."

Kim does a lot of things well on a baseball field, and many of those things have been struggles for the Red Sox in recent years. He's a premier defender all over the infield, racking up 23 outs above average since the start of 2021. Plus, he can hit a little bit, posting a 99 career OPS+ and .326 on-base percentage.

If Kim were healthy, he'd be a great name to throw into the mix as the Red Sox worked out their roster kinks to start the year. He could start at second base while spelling Rafael Devers at third on occasion, plus be ready to take over shortstop if Trevor Story got hurt yet again.

Unfortunately, the injury makes things more complicated, and giving Kim a multi-year deal into his thirties could also be a deterrent. But the longer the Korean star remains unsigned, the more the odds increase that Boston could snag him at a discount.