Seoul: South Korean All-Star infielder Kim Hye-seong has been posted for Major League Baseball (MLB) clubs, with teams free to negotiate with him until an early January deadline. MLB announced that it notified its 30 clubs of Kim's availability at noon Eastern Time (ET) on Wednesday, following a request from Kim's club, Kiwoom Heroes, via the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). According to Yonhap News Agency, the 30 MLB teams can now enter negotiations with Kim during a 30-day window, which started at 8 a.m. ET on Thursday and will close at 5 p.m. ET on January 3. If Kim does not secure a deal within this timeframe, he will not be eligible for posting again until November 1, 2025. Kim, 25, traveled to Los Angeles last Friday to commence training at a facility organized by his U.S.-based agency, Creative Artists Agency (CAA). The Seattle Mariners have shown interest in Kim, with their general manager, Justin Hollander, identifying second base as a priority area for talent acquisition this winter. Kim comes o ff a strong season in 2024, achieving career highs with 11 home runs, 75 RBIs, and a .458 slugging percentage. He maintained a batting average of .326, marking his fourth consecutive .300 season, and recorded 30 stolen bases, his seventh consecutive season with at least 20 steals. Kim, who debuted in the KBO in 2017, has a career batting line of .306/.364/.403 and leads the KBO with 211 steals since 2018. Renowned for his defensive skills, he won the KBO Fielding Award at second base for the second consecutive year and has experience playing shortstop and third base. The Kiwoom Heroes have previously sent four players to MLB, following the league's posting system, including Kim Ha-seong, Kang Jung-ho, Park Byung-ho, and Lee Jung-hoo. KBO teams are compensated with a "release fee" for players signed by MLB through posting, determined by the contract's guaranteed amount. The KBO's fee structure includes 20 percent of the first $25 million, 17.5 percent of the next $25 million, and 15 percent of any amount exc eeding $50 million.