Baltimore Orioles Hyun Soo Kim returning to Korea
By David Hill
Former Baltimore Orioles outfielder Hyun Soo Kim has decided to return to Korea, signing with the LG Twins.
The Baltimore Orioles had high hopes for Hyun Soo Kim after signing him to a two year contract prior to the 2016 campaign. He had been a solid hitter in the Korean Baseball Organization during his time with the Doosan Bears, producing a .318/.406/.488 batting line during his ten years in the league. Although he was not much of a power hitter, Kim hit 142 homers and 230 doubles. However, his greatest assets were his batting eye and ability to put the ball in play, as he drew 597 walks and struck out only 501 times in 4768 plate appearances.
Kim had a strong showing in his first year with Baltimore. As a platoon outfielder, the lefty handed hitter produced a solid .302/.382/.420 batting line, hitting six homers and 16 doubles in 2016. However, his production went downhill last year, as Kim hit at just a .231/.307/.292 clip, hitting only one home run and eight doubles. Being sent to the Phillies at the trade deadline for Jeremy Hellickson did not change his fortunes, as Kim produced similar stats at both stops.
After his disappointing 2017 campaign, Kim has decided to return to his old stomping grounds. He has signed a four year contract with the LG Twins worth 11.5 Billion Won, or approximately $10.6 Million.
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Even with is lackluster 2017 performance, Kim could have still had a chance to contribute at the major league level. It is likely that he could have received a minor league offer with an invitation to Spring Training, potentially making the final 25 man roster. In the right situation, Kim could have thrived and rebuilt his value.
Instead, he joins Byung-Ho Park and Jae-Gyun Hwang in returning to Korea after finding limited success in Major League Baseball. Ah-seop Son, an excellent hitter in the KBO, chose to remain in Korea instead of looking to come stateside. Even former major leaguer Wilin Rosario, who enjoyed tremendous success in Korea, is staying overseas, having signed in Japan.
It will be interesting to see how these decisions influence the perceptions of other players when it comes to leaving the KBO. While stars like Park and Kim had moments of success in the majors, they were not nearly the same players as they had been in their home country. Even Jung Ho Kang, the one player to become a regular, was not at the same level he had been before being unable to come back to the United States following his third drunk driving conviction.
Meanwhile, major league teams may look at those players who dominated the KBO with even more skepticism. Those lofty batting statistics were already considered somewhat questionable before this recent spate of failure. Teams may not be as willing to go after free agents from the KBO until someone else proves they can actually perform as an every day player.
Former Baltimore Orioles outfielder Hyun Soo Kim had that chance. However, after a disappointing performance last year, he is headed back to Korea, joining the LG Twins.