Dan Duquette has once again dipped into the free agent market, signing Korean left-handed outfielder Hyun-soo Kim*. As reported by Dan Connolly of The Sun, the contract is for two years and $7 million.
*pending physical, of course!
In his most recent season, the 27-year-old hit .326/.438/.541 with 28 home runs in 141 games for Korea’s Doosan Bears. Over ten seasons for them, his line was .318/.406/.488. Hey, a guy that can get on base! He’s not Nori Aoki, but hey, he’s younger, a lot cheaper, perhaps has a bit more pop, and if his OBP skills can translate to the MLB level (101:63 BB:K ratio last year) then the Birds just addressed a huge weakness, and they did so cheaply. As we know, that’s always a key feature of addressing weaknesses at the Warehouse.
Let’s hope this is a successful Asian market signing for Duquette, who has whiffed on guys like Suk-Min Yoon and Tsuyoshi Wada along with hitting the home run of Wei-Yin Chen prior to the 2012 season.
Best-case scenario: Kim brings his OBP to the top of the Orioles’ order, proves that he can handle both RHP and LHP in the US, and forces himself into the lineup every day.
Much more likely: Kim struggles to adjust, but is serviceable, and is part of an OF platoon in Baltimore. He gives the Birds a better option than David Lough or Travis Snider, but not by much.
The best news on Kim, as mentioned above, is probably his price tag. Jeff Passan of Yahoo, back in November, suggested that Kim could fetch a price tag “toward the next tier of corner outfielders” after guys like Justin Upton, Alex Gordon, and Jason Heyward. Obviously, MLB teams saw something over the last six weeks to scare them off of anything anywhere near that.
Still, Passan also says this:
One scout who saw Kim this season said he is an everyday option in left field – and occasional fill-in at first base, where he played some last season – whose game stands to translate well to the major leagues because he blends enough power with superior plate discipline.
“He doesn’t have raw power like Park or Lee,” the scout said, “but he’s exactly what teams are looking for. He’s just great at putting bat on ball. He’s got a Royals-type offensive profile.”
So, maybe I’m unnecessarily bearish on the newest Oriole. I apologize if that’s the case, but I just have a little trouble getting too excited for players I know nothing about after the Yoon debacle. Still, I’m all for the Orioles having more guys who put the friggin’ ball in play, though if that’s something they’re honestly interested in, their lack of any interest at all in Aoki the past two offseasons is all the more perplexing.
Anyway, welcome to America, Hyun-soo. And, more importantly, welcome to Birdland.
One Response
…” a better option than David Lough or Travis Snider…”, that’s all I need to hear.