Just when we thought the Rays were done and the roster was set for the upcoming season, they go out and sign Ha-Seong Kim to one of the largest free agent contracts in franchise history. Kim’s addition shakes up what we thought the shortstop depth chart looked like, with Taylor Walls’ playing time most in jeopardy. Kim will not start the season on the active roster, however, as he recovers from labrum surgery.
That means Walls will most likely be the team’s shortstop on Opening Day, but he’ll have less than two months to prove why he should remain on the roster over other role players like Jose Caballero, Jonathan Aranda, Curtis Mead, or Eloy Jimenez.