The Baltimore Orioles will likely send former KBO star Hyun Soo Kim to the minors to start the season after a disappointing spring.
On Tuesday Dan Duquette, Baltimore Orioles VP of Baseball Operations, announced that Hyun Soo Kim “is not going to be on the 25-man roster.” In December the Orioles signed Kim to a two-year $7 million contract. He spent his previous ten seasons in the KBO playing for the Doosan Bears.
Recently several MLB clubs have found success in acquiring players from the KBO. Jung Ho Kang is the best recent example, and his accomplishments opened the door for more of these transitions to take place. This off-season alone the Twins (Byung-ho Park), Mariners (Dae-Ho Lee), and Cardinals (Seung-hwan Oh) made similar moves.
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What was it about Kim’s performance that was so troubling for Baltimore? In sixteen games this spring he hit .182/.229/.182 with one walk and six strikeouts. Clearly these aren’t the kinds of numbers Baltimore was hoping for, but are they giving up on him too soon? As Eduardo Encia notes, “It was just last year that Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Jung Ho Kang struggled mightily in spring training. He opened the spring 1-for-23, looked lost at shortstop and, at the plate, he couldn’t make adjustments as pitchers jammed him inside.” He finished the season hitting .287/.355/.461.
The hope was that Kim could come in and compete for Baltimore’s opening in left field. So where will the Orioles turn now? Randy Buchman lists Joey Rickard and Nolan Reimold as the most likely options currently with the team. It is also possible they could go out and try and find a left fielder on the open market. They attempted to add depth to their outfield options this spring by pursuing Dexter Fowler. It appeared Fowler was headed to Baltimore, but he had a last minute change of heart and signed a one-year deal with the Cubs.
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What’s next for Kim? In order for Baltimore to send him to Triple-A they must get Kim’s consent. Ken Rosenthal reported that Kim is willing to accept the demotion. One of the most attractive aspects of Kim’s game for the Orioles was his career .406 OBP. If he’s able to get things sorted out in the minors, Kim could definitely see big league action sooner rather than later. At $7 million dollars he’s not a huge burden on the Orioles, but his development would be a welcome option for filling a gaping hole on the major league roster this season.