TAMPA, Fla. -- The Rays made another move designed to improve a lineup that scored more runs than only the White Sox last year, agreeing on Wednesday to a two-year deal with shortstop Ha-Seong Kim.

The contract is worth $29 million and includes an opt-out clause after this season, sources told MLB.com. The club has not confirmed the agreement. If finalized, the deal will pay Kim $13 million this season, making him the highest-paid player on the team, and $16 million in 2026 if he doesn¡¯t opt out. At $29 million overall, it would be the fifth-largest free-agent contract in franchise history and the largest for a position player behind the four-year, $34 million contract Greg Vaughn signed with Tampa Bay in December 1999.

Kim won¡¯t be ready to play on Opening Day, as he is recovering from surgery to repair a small tear in the labrum of his right shoulder. He is aiming to return early in the season, perhaps in May. When he is deemed ready, the 29-year-old is expected to take over for Taylor Walls as Tampa Bay¡¯s primary shortstop.

Having Kim take over at shortstop would complete an up-the-middle offseason makeover for the Rays, one designed to raise their floor offensively without sacrificing much on the defensive end.

First, they traded strikeout-prone center fielder Jose Siri and handed the job to Jonny DeLuca. Next, they signed veteran catcher Danny Jansen after getting very little production from their right-handed-hitting backstops last year. Now, they can install Kim -- an outstanding defender and a solid offensive player -- at shortstop.

With only three moves, the Rays have noticeably deepened a lineup that should look something like this by the time Kim is healthy:

1. Yandy D¨ªaz, 1B
2. Brandon Lowe, 2B
3. Junior Caminero, 3B
4. Josh Lowe, RF
5. Christopher Morel, LF
6. Jonathan Aranda/Eloy Jim¨¦nez, DH
7. Jansen, C
8. Kim, SS
9. DeLuca/Richie Palacios, CF

Getting league-average offensive production at shortstop, catcher and center field would bolster the Rays¡¯ lineup as a whole, especially if their top hitters bounce back and break through as expected.

While there will be questions about his health and arm strength as he returns from surgery, signing Kim is a worthwhile gamble. Walls, an elite defender but a career .188 hitter, can hold down the spot to start the season. If top shortstop prospect Carson Williams forces his way to the Majors earlier than expected, Kim¡¯s proven versatility would provide other paths to playing time.

Kim has established himself as a valuable player since he joined the Padres on a four-year, $28 million deal in December 2020, making a smooth transition from the Korea Baseball Organization to Major League Baseball.

He has produced a .242/.326/.380 slash line (99 OPS+) with 47 homers, 78 steals and 15.3 WAR (per Baseball-Reference) over 540 games in the big leagues. He had his best season in 2023, setting career highs in homers (17), steals (38), OPS (.749) and WAR (5.8) and winning a Gold Glove at the utility spot.

Although the Padres signed shortstop Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year, $280 million contract as a free agent in December 2022, they opted to make Kim their full-time shortstop entering the 2024 campaign, moving Bogaerts to second.

Kim handled the switch well on defense, but he declined a bit from his 2023 offensive heights, recording 11 homers, 22 steals and a .700 OPS over 121 games before sustaining a right shoulder injury in mid-August. He didn¡¯t return and eventually underwent surgery before declining his portion of an $8 million mutual option to become a free agent.