San Diego Padres win bidding for Kwang-Hyun Kim

The San Diego Padres have won the bidding for Korean left-handed pitcher Kwang-Hyun Kim, sources have told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The 26-year-old’s Korean team, the SK Wyverns, was given approximately four days to come to a decision on whether or not to accept the Padres’ $2 million bid. Rosenthal had previously noted that the SK Wyverns were seeking a winning bid that was north of $10 million, so there was not any guarantee that San Diego would have the chance to even negotiate with Kim.

However, according to reports surfacing from Naver, a newspaper in Korea, the SK Wyverns have agreed to accept the $2 million bid from the Padres, allowing the team to have the right to negotiate a deal with Kim.

Though most don’t see Kwang-Hyun Kim as more than a back of the rotation starter or, at best, a long reliever in the big leagues, he was highly regarded as one of the best pitchers in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). In 28 starts this past season in the KBO, Kim recorded a 13-9 record, along with a 3.42 ERA. He also had a 145/81 K/BB ratio over 173 and 2/3 innings pitched. In eight season over in Korea, Kim holds a 3.30 ERA.

Because the SK Wyverns accepted the San Diego Padres’ bid, the Padres will now have a 30-day negotiating window to settle on a major league deal with Kim. If no contract agreement is in place after the 30-day period, both the posting fee and Kim’s rights would be returned.