Would Kim Hye-seong (Los Angeles Dodgers) have avoided being demoted to the minor leagues if he had not participated in the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC)?
U.S. outlet SportsGrid said on the 27th (Korea time), "It was not surprising that the Los Angeles Dodgers had to make a difficult roster decision at the end of spring camp. What was surprising was the way they made that decision," and analyzed the factors behind Kim Hye-seong's demotion to the minor leagues.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts never shied away from making difficult decisions. With the comment, "This was the toughest decision of this spring camp," he informed Kim Hye-seong, who hit .407 with an on-base percentage of .448, slugging .519, 1 home run and 6 RBIs in exhibition games, that he would be sent to the minor leagues, and he granted a roster spot to rookie Alex Freeland, who had struggled with a .116 batting average.
Although it is an unconvincing result, SportsGrid said, "On the surface it may seem puzzling, but the club made this decision based on a clear logic," noting, "Roberts explained this decision not as an evaluation of talent but as a matter of timing and opportunity." Roberts said, "The key is for Kim Hye-seong to play six games a week. He will get many plate appearances there that he won't get here."
Another reason Kim Hye-seong was sent to the minor leagues was his poor performance in the 2026 WBC. The outlet pointed out that Kim Hye-seong was silent in the WBC with a .083 batting average over four games and wrote, "His spring camp was complicated by participation in the WBC. According to Roberts, the consistency of his swing mechanics was disrupted in the process. Therefore, the Dodgers organization believes that Kim getting daily playing time in Oklahoma City, handling various positions such as second base, shortstop and center field, will be more beneficial for his long-term development than intermittent appearances in Los Angeles."
So why did they choose Freeland, who struggled in exhibition games? Roberts cited Freeland's plate appearances and defensive stability, saying, "At this point, those areas are ahead of Kim Hye-seong." SportsGrid again criticized Kim's WBC slump, noting, "Kim Hye-seong recorded a 9-game exhibition OPS of .967 but managed only one hit in 12 at-bats in the WBC."
SportsGrid said, "This is a typical Dodgers-style decision: trusting the process and potential over surface-level results. Freeland did not overanalyze it and instead showed a human reaction. Freeland said, 'When the manager told me I made the roster, I got chills,'" summarizing the situation surrounding Kim Hye-seong's demotion to the minor leagues.
Meanwhile, Kim Hye-seong will play in the Triple-A season opener on the 28th at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, against the Albuquerque Isotopes (an affiliate of the Colorado Rockies).
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