Orioles outfielder Hyun Soo Kim will not accept a minor league assignment from the club, according to an announcement from his Korea-based agency (via Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News Agency and Daniel Kim of KBO Sports; Twitter links). His contract includes language preventing the organization from sending him down without his approval.
“Kim would like to see his contract honored and executed faithfully,” the agency said in a statement (link via Yoo). “He also hopes to receive fair opportunities to continue his career as a major leaguer with Baltimore.”
There had been some suggestion that Kim would consider opening the year at Triple-A, where he might gain some seasoning and ready himself for the majors. That now appears to be a long shot, however.
Kim, whom the Orioles signed to a two-year, $7MM deal during the offseason, is in this position because of a highly disappointing spring. The 28-year-old hit an ugly .182/.229/.182 with one walk and no extra base hits in 44 plate appearances. Kim’s offense isn’t the only concern, though, as a scout told Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com that his defense also leaves much to be desired (Twitter link).
The offensive numbers Kim amassed this spring are a far cry from the stats he compiled in the pitching-challenged Korea Baseball Organization, where he slashed .318/.406/.488 in nine seasons. One reason for Kim’s success in Korea was his outstanding plate discipline, and he was supposed to use that to serve as a high-OBP presence in Baltimore’s lineup. Kim’s inability to get on base this spring opened the door for Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard, who parlayed a .390/.463/.576 line into a big league roster spot. Despite their vastly different springs, general manager Dan Duqette called the move to carry Rickard over Kim “a razor thin roster call” (Twitter link via Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com).
Given their decision, the Duquette-led O’s are now in a tough spot. If Kim won’t relent and accept a place in the minors, the choices are limited. The team seems to have decided Kim’s not major league-ready, with Duquette saying that “the player needs more at-bats to prepare for the season.” Baltimore could next follow the route that got them out from under the failed contract of fellow Korean Suk-min Yoon by finding a KBO club to pick up some or all of the Kim’s contract. But it’s not clear whether there is sufficient interest in this case, and Kim expressed a desire earlier this week to continue his career in North America, as Roch Kubatko of MASN.com reported. Otherwise, the O’s would presumably have no choice but to eat the entire contract. Duquette, of course, hopes it doesn’t come to that and expressed optimism about Kim’s future with the Orioles.
“We all look forward to his contributions to the club after Kim has more time to adjust to his new surroundings,” Duquette said.
He will be released then. We’ll see if Korean players ever sign with Baltimore again after him and Yoon.
& Wada…..
Wada wasn’t the O’s fault – he kept getting hurt if I recall.
My point exactly. It wasn’t the O’s fault that he took home $8.15MM over 2 years and never threw a pitch for the parent club. It was merely the fact that the O’s were the ones on the unfortunate end of that transaction. O’s should send their scouts on the other side of the world, they simply aren’t having much luck dipping in the pool of of the Orient. Chen was the only successful player they had from that part of the world. They simply would be better off going a different direction, it simply hasn’t worked out in their favor on the international market.
“The Orient” isn’t great word choice man. How about using Asia, Japan, Korea, or something like that. Also Uehara turned out great, and he started at the Orioles, so I wouldn’t say there is anything wrong with their scouting. In the case of Wada, it was just bad luck that he was hurt both years and looking at his stats with the Cubs, I believe he could have been a decent starter in the Majors.
What’s wrong with “the Orient”?
There’s nothing demeaning about it. It’s not very specific, but neither is “Asia”.
“Occident” and “Orient” nothing wrong with that.
Dude, Asian is not the preferred, uh. . . Asian-soon to be- Americans please.
“Orient” means “east”, and unless there’s been a drastic continental plate movement in the past 24 hrs, the Korean peninsula is still in the Far East.
Not sure how Wada’s unsuccessful stint with the Orioles will affect signing Korean players as he is Japanese.
This is getting kind of ugly! What organization wants to have a player force themselves onto the team if they are not performing to the level in which they were paid for? Not taking sides, it is just not a good look for either.
Baltimore knew the risk with the refusal of going to the minors. They shouldn’t have put it in there. I don’t blame Kim at all. He gets paid either way, so big club or go home to Korea with a fat check. Baltimore would be better off giving him a part time role of some sort and seeing how it shakes out. Not ideal, but neither is eating millions of dollars.
If he doesn’t want to go to the minors, why strain the relationship even further by trying to force him there. He doesn’t want to go, give him his money and say thanks anyway, or give him a vote of confidence by giving him a shot and see what happens.
Why doesn’t Kim just accept the assignment to the minors?
He still gets his $7MM and gets a chance to prove that he deserves a shot in the majors, which he clearly hasn’t done so far.
Because he signed a contract to play in the majors. Who is going to willingly go to the minors when they can be in the bigs?
The Orioles shouldn’t have put that in the contract. That was incredibly stupid for this exact reason.
The Orioles are now asking him to do something he isn’t contractually obligated to do. How is any outcome a win for Kim? He clearly didn’t want to play in the minors, that stipulation was put into the contract for a reason.
Clearly, he cannot play in the bigs lol. At least not yet. I hate that Baltimore is coming off as the bad guy in this when they are just trying to field the best team possible. Kim needs to accept a minor league assignment if he wants to play in the MLB. If he can’t earn an outfield spot in Baltimore, I’d like for someone to name one other team that would take him for such a role.
It’s a win for him because the alternative is being released and having to find a new club to take him on after an awful spring, become acclimated in another new city and clubhouse, and potentially having to return to Korea. Sure, he ends up with his 7 million or whatever, but professional athletes make good money in Korea too, and I assume his attempt to come to the US is more for his pride than the cash.
Go to the minors for a month or so, get in at bats rather than ride the bench in the majors, show you can work things out, and then come up to the varsity squad. It’s not like the O’s hate Kim or think he will never be useful, it’s just that he hasn’t shown major league ability to this point.
I don’t see Baltimore as coming off as a bad guy in this, but obviously they shouldn’t have included that provision in the contract in hindsight. A completely untested player should never have been given the right to refuse a minor league assignment.
Fun Fact: David Ortiz hasn’t batted over .200 in Spring Training since 2008.
The guy is probably still better than Nolan Reimold, why not keep him around when you’re going to be paying him anyways?
It’s not about the money. If he wanted more money, then he would have stayed in Korea or go to Japan. He wants to be successful at ML.
Do you think the PEDs take the whole spring training to start working?
Baltimore might want to take a closer look at their Pacific Rim scouting personnel? Sometimes the correct move to make is no move at all.
I could not agree with you more!
100% correct sir
The thing is… the Orioles have seen Kim play for all of a month of games that don’t count. Jung Ho Kang had a poor spring training last season, and not much of a first month of the season either. Granted, the Bucs had more money invested in Kang and thus were likely to be more patient with him. But for the Orioles, either they need better scouts or better front-office personnel. Why would you sign a guy who has never played baseball in the U.S., and then give him a clause in his contract that says that he can’t be sent to the minors without his consent, and then decide after 1 spring training that he’s not good enough to take North with the team?
WOW! That is an excellent point! This is the same team that doesn’t offer opt out clauses. Those opt out clauses would be to players who have earned free agency right in front of your eyes over the course of 6+ seasons, but you would allow an international player to force his way on the team due to a clause stipulating he can’t be demoted? That is a great point and seems kind of counter-productive in that a player that has no MLB track record is able to coerce a clause, any clause mind you, but not a player who has earned it in the MLB. Great point!
The clause saying he can’t go to AAA is stupid on the O’s part. It’s not like he was some big time free agent that started to play terribly. I give the BJ Upton/Braves debacle as an example. He played awful but per his contract couldn’t be sent down, but at least he had competed at the major league level and succeeded. I don’t get signing a guy that’s never played here before and then giving yourself no lee way with him if he turns out terrible. Other than releasing him and eating the money or wasting a roster spot on him.
The clause doesn’t say he can’t go to AAA, it says he can’t go without his approval. So honestly, he’s hurting himself by not accepting the demotion. He won’t get many at bats with the major league team and in AAA he will be an everyday player who can show the O’s he’s capable of playing in America.
The more I think about it I’m not so sure if going to Norfolk would be that good for Kim. The Tides park is one of the hardest parks to hit homers in in all of MiLB. With the constant wind that blows in off the ocean. Like I said earlier a platoon with Rickard might be better for him.
I don’t think he would be hitting many homers anyways. It doesn’t matter where he went. I don’t think they are expecting him to hit HR’s
Don’t you find this interesting? The club who has become known for stiffing free agents is being “bullied” by a Korean free agent into living up to the contract Baltimore signed. Just seems appropriate.
What are you talking about??
Agreed Texassooner!!!!! That was simply a bad clause….
Yet the Orioles spent the most money on FA’s this year. I think you’re a year to late with your comment.
Doesn’t this seem appropriate? The team now known for stiffing free agents now has been “bullied” by a Korean free agent into fulfilling the contract Baltimore signed. Hope he stands his ground.
Kim would like to see his contract honored and executed faithfully,” the agency said in a statement“He also hopes to receive fair opportunities to continue his career as a major leaguer with Baltimore.”
Is he sane? He was not good enough, His swing was awful, He made up for by playing poor defense. Gimme A Break!!!
Ah – someone that actually saw him play.
Always love it when posters like that sneak on here.
He did make contact in most of his at bats. But he swung at EVERYTHING! Buck probably thought they sent the wrong guy over. Because the guy they signed was supposed to have good plate discipline. He was probably pressing just to show he could hit MLB pitching. If he calms down after he goes North he might be alright.
Yeah, supposedly in Korea he was a pure contact guy (I think I read that he was called the “Tony Gwynn of Korea”). Not lots of walks, less strikeouts, not a ton of power, but good hard contact to all fields. But watching him hit…he has an obvious arm-bar so his path to the ball is just short. That can work against bad velocity, which is the norm in the KBO, but he’s never going to do anything except make weak contact in the ML against 90+ stuff. No pitcher would ever have to throw a breaking pitch to him.
I’m not sure if that’s a failure of scouting or if, for some reason, his approach changed suddenly. Being bad defensively (i didn’t see him enough to say one way or the other) in left field means his only other position on the O’s would be DH, and they have plenty of those already.
Jerry Remy saw him play too, he commented on his swing I concurred with him.
Plus, he lumbers in the field like Wieters lumbers down to first base after a bunt
Please Eppler, offer to take him, pay 2mm of the deal and let him compete.
Well I guess Reimold is the odd man out. That guy can’t catch a break.
Because I hate to think of how Kim will be received by fans if they had to give Rickard back to Tampa because of this. The O’s front office will get a heap of bad press too.
I doubt that happens though. Rickard looks a lot better than the likes of Flaherty, McFarland, and Garcia when they first broke camp. They held onto those guys with decent results.
This is funny……
1. Can an MLB team that carries 12-13 pitchers on it’s roster afford to carry a guy that they believe can’t play in the major leagues? If they do carry him, do they ultimately wind up losing a legitimate major league talent off their roster?
2. How does an Duquette explain this to the owners…..and Buck?
3. How will this young man in a strange country handle fan reaction if he continues to play at his current level when he has to face true major league pitching (in ST hitters see a lot of pitchers headed to AAA and AA as well as major league pitchers working themselves into shape and trying things), after forcing himself onto the major league roster?
4. Can the Orioles get some compensation from other MLB teams for this action? $7M is a nice percentage of an overall payroll budget of a non-large market franchise. It will be long time before a MLB team hands out a contract with the “you can’t send me down” provision in it for a player that has not faced MLB competition – other franchises will learn fr0m this.
I don’t think he’s the first player who couldn’t been sent to the minors, although it’s not common. As to the Orioles getting compensation from other teams, I don’t see how that’s possible. The O’s signed the guy–it would be like other teams being asked to pay for CC, or Panda, or melvin Upton.
LOL
I’m talking about other teams giving some compensation for saving those other teams from agreeing to a contract like the Orioles gave.
Maybe $125k apiece to help offset the Orioles loss.
Give a part time role and let him get used the show. Or trade him to a team wiling to be patient with him.
Probably going to platoon with Rickard. That would probably be the best medicine for Kim in his first year over here.
The PR backlash from this situation is not going to be good for either party! Kim’s supporters will say that: You are asking a player to do something he is not contractually obligated to do. O’s supporters will sound something like: Why doesn’t he just accept that he is not ready and conform to the style of baseball that has been played here for over 100 years and stop whining and go get yourself prepared for when you are ready for a call-up.
I am never one to support the fictional trade scenarios, but.
$7MM is not that huge a sum for a player that could actually produce + results when/if he gets totally acclimated. So, considering the modest sum, couldn’t the O’s make some goodwill and kill this scenario by offering him to one of the rebuilding ballclubs that could actually allow him to stay on the team without retarding the growth of another player? Brewers, ATL, Philly,SD, Reds, Rockies, and Cleveland(I only add Cleveland because they could stand an outfielder) all come to mind as teams that could be offered Kim and $5MM to cover a great portion of his contract and end this nightmare of a scenario. The team that accepts him would feel no pressure to just release him if he fails to improve given the right opportunity, without fearing of having to eat the entirety of his contract if he fails. Then the O’s can continue their season and concentrate on their immediate needs and out an end to this situation altogether. Just a thought.
Be a starter in aaa and prove you can hit or be on major league roster as a fifth of and have to prove it as a pinch hitter getting once a week starts. He’ll get his two year deal now but this could hurt him going forward after that.
Negotiate a stint of no more then a month or release from contract. Prove you can play in majors and get called up for a starting roll.
Right now he’s going to have a difficult time earning it.
That being said spring trading really means nothing. Roger Bernadina and Brendon boesch had monster springs for the reds in the past and did nothing and plenty of others have been horrible and been great
I’ll work my entire life and will not make a combined $7M. It’s comical
Say what you will about the Orioles, but they sure know how to generate good controversy.
Wow, great scouting by the Orioles to get themselves into this position.
Below is Munenori Kawasaki’s 2016 ST slash line:
.364/.451/.568/.1.019
And below are two old baseball maxims.
1. Beware of sample sizes
2. Spring Training means nothing (especially for players like Kim who is transitioning from KBO to MLB and has just started making an adjustment).
Actually, the idea that ST is where you compete for a spot .on the 25-man roster is just fundamentally wrong,
.200/.280/.444
That was Jung Ho Kang’s stat line in Spring Training 2015.
As an avid Orioles fan, I don’t sympathize with management at all in this. Adjusting to the MLB from KBO takes time. Jung Ho didn’t really hit his stride until May. They overloaded the roster with power bats like Trumbo and Alvarez. Platoon Kim with Rickard in Left or play Rickard in right and do a Trumbo/Alvarez platoon at DH.
Don’t know why they’re still carrying 3 catchers on the 25man roster, unless Weiters health is really in question.
I can see both sides of argument. The Orioles didn’t like what they saw with Kim and in the meantime Rickard was playing well so they thought either return Kim to Korea like they did with Yoon last year and save some money or send Kim to the minor to save a MLB roster. Meanwhile Kim had only had 44 ABs and it is such a small sample size especially when he just made the transition and when he could stay in the majors contractually, why would anybody go down to the minors? To prove himself? He has already proven himself (or so he thinks) and that’s why he got that contract.
There is actually no spot on the Tides either so the madness ensues….
I wish the Orioles had just carried Kim in the bench and see if he gets any better in the next few months instead of creating this international fiasco since they cannot send him to the minors without his consent anyway. There is definitely a problem how the Orioles front office handles things
There is no fiasco. If the Orioles have no room for him then release him with full pay like with any other player who can’t be sent down. Kim will find plenty of interest from teams on the hook for only the minimum with the Orioles paying the remainder of his contract
In his last 25 PA he batted 340 with a 400 OBP. He should make the Orioles release him with full pay and then he can latch on with another team
The problem is that Dan or Dan’s scouts ignored data or didn’t have data.
This is genuinely Dan’s fault, because Dan was the idiot who signed this guy without having any idea whether he would be competent.
And after finding out “oops this guy is bad,” he wants to send him down and ignore him in the minors.
Dan, you signed him to a major league deal because you’re an idiot.
Give him his money and send him home.
And hire some damn scouts.
You are focused on 40 at bats during spring training. This is a tiny sample size. But if you like small sample sizes, he’s batting 340 over his last 25 at bats.
This guy can’t play? Two time wbc all tournament team player, Olympic gold medalist, and league mvp. Just taking that into consideration demonstrates that this guy can play.
Mike pelfry signed a 2/16 major league deal with the Tigers. Kim signed a 2/7 deal. Which would you rather?
Give the guy time to adjust – unlike the Pirates, I do not believe the o’s brought in a translator to help with the transition process. Think about trying to make the jump from the kbo to mlb when none of the coaches speak the same language. Granted, Kim does speak a little English, but he probably does not have a real expansive vocabulary and he is probably $hit out of luck trying to understand the neuances of our language.
The big difference between Kim and Yoon is that Yoon didn’t have the minors-consent provision in his contract. That was the reason why he was willing to go back to Korea since he absolutely hated the one-year stint in Norfolk. Yoon probably advised Kim to have the consent clause when Kim was consulting him about the Orioles.
Obviously, the O’s FO just wanted to put pressure on Kim to accept the demotion to Triple-A Norfolk, (and eventually to Korea), even though they don’t even have a spot for him in the outfield.
Ken Rosenthal @Ken_Rosenthal
Sources: Kim not expected to make #Orioles’ Opening Day roster. Believed willing to go to Triple A; must consent to any demotion.
Roch Kubatko on Kim
1)The feeling here is that Kim will accept the assignment because he wants to remain in the U.S. and not give up his dream of playing in the majors.”
2)If Hyun Soo Kim agrees to an assignment at Triple-A Norfolk, which he’s expected to do, he’s going to get lots of at-bats as the designated hitter.
-Kim’s agency-
“Kim would like to see his contract honored and executed faithfully,” the agency said in a statement (link via Yoo). “He also hopes to receive fair opportunities to continue his career as a major leaguer with Baltimore.”
“What makes this such a surprise reversal is that two days ago it was Rosenthal who reported that Kim was believed to be willing to accept a demotion. Of course, it’s always possible that Kim changed his mind between now and then, but it’s also possible that whoever Rosenthal talked to a couple of days ago had no idea what he or she was talking about.
Orioles beat writer Rich Dubroff for CSN Baltimore added:
Buck Showalter met a third time with Hyun Soo Kim today and there were no signs that situation was closer to solution. #Orioles
— Rich Dubroff (@RichDubroffCSN) March 31, 2016
Which kind of makes it sound like whoever talked to Rosenthal a couple of days ago had no idea what he or she was talking about. Maybe it was the same person who was certain that the Orioles had reached an agreement with Dexter Fowler.”
Roch Kubatko @masnRoch
Source: #orioles reach agreement with Dexter Fowler on 3 year deal
-Casey Close Statement Regarding Dexter Fowler-
“In my 25 years in this business, never before have I witnessed such irresponsible behavior on so many fronts. Both the Orioles front office and members of the media were so busy recklessly spreading rumors that they forgot or simply chose not to concern themselves with the truth. The Orioles’ willful disregard of collectively bargained rules governing free agency and the media’ eager complicity in helping the Orioles violate those rules are reprehensible. Dexter Fowler never reached agreement with the Orioles and did not come close to signing with the club; any suggestion otherwise is only a continuation of an already disturbing trend.”
What a disgrace to MLB this organization is!
Anyone who thinks Casey Close’s statement was anything more than saving face is a disgrace to common sense. Congraulations on mastering the Art of copy and paste though. How “disgraceful” of the Orioles to want to put their best 25 man roster on the field. Get a clue.
baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-c…
“And the Orioles shouldn’t discount how parting ways with Kim could affect future opportunities in Korea. Kim was one of the KBO’s best players, and cutting ties with him after just 16 spring training games won’t likely be well received or help the Orioles’ future endeavors there. Remember it was just four years ago that Orioles scouts were banned from Korean games after they didn’t go through the proper procedure in signing 16-year-old pitcher Seong-min Kim.
And why should Kim — after receiving just 44 spring training at-bats — be convinced he can’t cut it in the United States? It was just last year that Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Jung Ho Kang struggled mightily in spring training. He endured a 1-for-24 drought early, looked lost at shortstop, and at the plate, he couldn’t make adjustments as pitchers jammed him inside.
The Pirates carried Kang as a backup infielder on Opening Day. By mid-May, he was hitting .300 and he ended the season third in National League Rookie of the Year voting.
Let’s say Kim ends up accepting an assignment to Norfolk. Where do you play him?
The Orioles would like Christian Walker to play left field every day, so Kim isn’t becoming a better left fielder by not playing there. The Tides already have a crowded outfield mix that will likely include Walker, Dariel Alvarez, Henry Urrutia, L.J. Hoes, Xavier Avery, Alfredo Marte and Julio Borbon.
There’s simply no room for him there, especially if the reason you’re sending him to the minors is to give him regular at-bats and playing time in the outfield. And if the team is struggling to talk Kim into going to Triple-A, there’s no way the Orioles are talking him into starting the season at a lower level.
So now the Orioles have another messy problem to solve as Opening Day looms. But they should be used to it. They’ve had several this spring training.”
twitter.com/DanielKimW/status/714332518250446848
simg.donga.com/ugc/MLBPARK/Board/14/59/19/55/14591…
This is lose lose situation for the Orioles and for Kim. Orioles did what was in the best interest of their 2016 team and per the language in Kim’s deal asked him if he would accept a deal to the minors. Kim chose to decline which was his right. I haven’t seen him play but I don’t know how you positive spin his spring performance and it’s not like the Orioles don’t want him to succeed.
I find the language Kim’s agency used odd, maybe a “lost in translation?” because the O’s have done nothing that they weren’t within their contractual rights to do to date and whether Kim’s agency likes it or not they are still with in their rights to release him.
No one in MLB has a major league roster spot for Kim if the O’s decide to release him, quite honestly I wonder if anyone even thinks he’s 40 man roster worthy based on his performance this spring. Kim’s contract still might force him onto the Opening Day roster, not sure how that endears him to the clubhouse when the AL East looks again like a 5 team scrum. Good clubhouse guys get to hang around the game a long time, everyone else perform or get shown the exit. I presume Kim hopes for more than a 2yr MLB career since he’s only age 29 but wow his 1st impressions would appeal to fall short on both counts.
I’m surprised at the level of discontent by O’s fan, $3.5M a year is not a debilitating contract nor is the translation of players from foreign leagues to MLB an exact science. Hmmmm I wonder if in a swap of bad contracts the Dodgers and O’s swap Alex Guerrero for Kim doesn’t make some sense. Both have similar no minors language, and maybe better roster fits
Red Sox trade Rusney Castillo to Orioles for Hyun-Soo Kim
Sox need a lefty OF
Orioles need any OF > Joey Rickard
You might need to throw in Pablo Sandoval.
Personally, I’m not sure why this has become some sort of good-guy, bad-guy thing. The thing that the Oriole bashers (not an Orioles fan btw) need to realize is that they can only keep 2 of 3 of Rickard, Kim and Reimold. As a team that is ostensibly contending (I’m not sure they are, but they believe themselves to be, rightfully so), they should go with the options that they fell give them the best opportunity to win- Rickard has made the most of his opportunity thus far, and is at least moderately intriguing, while Reimold has a history of on-base skills, which the team sorely lacks. As for Kim, that clause was negotiated and agreed to by the Orioles, and he is fully within his right to use it, regardless of whether the organization or its fans want him to. It’s an unfortunate situation that is sub-optimal for everyone involved (except for maybe Rickard, since he seems to have the made the team), but it’s far from a question of a selfish player or of a disgraceful organization.
Really? Here is Keith Law’s take on this situation.
Andrew: Thoughts on Orioles handling of Kim? Poor initial talent evaluation or not enough AB’s to make a judgement? Or both?
Klaw: If you’ll permit me to post some totally baseless speculation on my part: I think the O’s front office, scouting and/or analytics, liked him and signed him, but then Buck got a look at him in spring training and said “I can’t use this guy.” Totally, absolutely, one hundred percent a guess on my part. No matter what the reason, however, leaking that shit to the press was wrong. Don’t embarrass the player; you’d never do that to a US-born guy.
Do you remember when Orioles scouts were banned in Korea for illegally recruiting a 16 year old pitcher straight out of high school?
I hope Baltimore releases him. Then I want the Pirates to sign him for league minimum with Baltimore paying the remainder of his original contract.
Huntington can tell him that he can go down to the minors WITH countryman Jung Ho Kang while he continues rehabbing from his injury, allowing Kim to feel worlds more comfortable in his new environment an have someone to be able to buddy up with and help him get acclimated not only to the new league and level of competition but to the new culture. Then when Kang gets added back to the roster, if Kim seems to have turned the corner, then the Pirates find a roster spot for him to be the 5th outfielder for league minimum. If he really surprises and is killing it by the trade deadline, then you have options.
Bottom line, Pittsburgh would be the absolute best place for him to get acclimated to both baseball and American culture due to Jung Ho being on a rehab stint…Kim could literally shadow him. #1 he is still getting paid #2 no pressure of immediate mlb time #3 has a countryman who has already made the translation successfully right there with him on a daily basis to assist him in settling in.
Come on Orioles, release him!
Additionally, the Pirates can come and swoop in and save the day for Kim, the Pirates might get first cracks at the next big thing trying to come over from the KBO…
If Kim’s goal is to play in the Majors, well, that dream should be gone. He played like some 12 year old rec players swinging at everything. His reputation as having plate discipline is all but gone for me and if you are going to insist in a Major League spot “because of the contract” despite not earning it and getting paid either way…well, I have a position for you. It’s called left bench and it’s the far end of the dugout where you can sit and wait for your participation trophy, but if I have to send down Reimold who looked like he is ready this year because you won’t earn it, you aint never playing. Not defense, not pinch hits…I am going to give you two years of service time on a bench until you have zero plate appearances in that time so when you try to go back to Korea you can’t play anywhere. Not your old team, not the Rockies, not the Grand Prairie Air Hogs.
Man up and realize you aint ready for the show because God forbid you seek treatment for a hang nail while with the Orioles because I will show you the 60 Day DL quicker than Pablo can find a cream pie.
Another nice job by the worst scouting department in MLB.
The Orioles made a deal and, where I’m from, a man (or in this case a team) is only as good as his word. Coming over from the KBO, the Orioles should have given him a full ST of playing time, as they should know that the KBO is not the same quality as MLB. This is a great big neon sign to free agents in future years and will come back to sting the Orioles in the future, as it tells agents and their players that the Orioles can’t be trusted to keep their word.
They did give him full playing time in ST. He has around 50 AB’s and only got 8 hits. I know it has to be a hard transition for Kim but the O’s gave him an equal opportunity and now they are trying to help him by sending him down to get more AB’s. I don’t see what more they can do to help a guy improve his game and get more comfortable in American baseball.
Absolutely agree. I was at every Orioles home spring game and he seemed over matched at the plate. I understand he wants to be on the MLB team out of camp. Everybody does. But if he wants to get better he needs to be playing every day. The Orioles ARE trying to help him become a better player and doing what is best for both parties in spite of what many knuckleheads are saying in the comments above.
I completely agree. If he is on the MLB team, he will at best platoon with Rickard in left. But if Rickard continues playing like he did this spring, Kim will be sitting on the bench and only playing once every 10 games or so.
Jung Ho Kang only had 9 hits in spring training last year, Hyun Soo Kim has had 8 hits.
Also, this is spring training, where the stats have an extremely weak correlation to in-season performance. Too small a sample size.
The Orioles are sinking the ship before they even untied themselves from the metaphorical dock. They carried David Lough, Travis Snider, and Chris Parmlee for MONTHS before severing ties with them.
To acquire David Lough we had to give up Danny Valencia. In the case of Travis Snider we lost pitchers Stephen Tarpley and Steven Brault who have become better than expected
(bucsdugout.com/2015/8/10/9127159/pirates-come-out-…)
Kim required no forfeiture of draft picks or prospects. His contract is only costing them 2.5 million this year.
The Orioles want to play as if major league rosters are 30 deep instead of 25. They paid the repercussions for this when they optioned Wi Yin Chen for one game last seasons to save space for two games. I hope they right the ship on Hyun Soo Kim before they completely ruin their international reputation.
If I am Kim I would accept the assignment for $2M more and on the condition I can become a FA if I am not on the ML roster by July 1.
Oh em gee! A update! Can I post now?
Fiiiinnallyy! I’ve had to lurk for a long time.
Trade him to a team that’s rebuilding and has the patience to wait a few months for him to adjust
The O’s should cut Kim lose and pay him his money. Just chalk it up to bad luck/stupid contract and move on. The guy isn’t worth the headache, and given the way this is playing out he doesn’t look to be a team player, at least not the type that is going to endear himself to Buck Showalter.
As for the comment about Anyone>Rickard that I’ve seen in a couple of threads…………right.
There is a big difference between between being on an mlb team and a minor league team. Let’s look at this from his point of view. When Kim signed that contract it was important for him to be on the mlb roster – important enough to that it was negotiated and expressly written into the contract. Why? Could it have been a pride thing? Sure. Could it also have been a transitional concern? Absolutely. He is 29 years old, moving from his home halfway around the world where he doesn’t know anybody and no one really speaks his language. He can’t really call home easily bc of the time difference, he probably lost all of his booty calls, and his friends and social networks will require adjusting.
The difference in the conditions for minor leaguers and major leaguers is vast. With Baltimore, he will spend the season in major cities like Baltimore, New York, Toronto, Boston, and Tampa bay – which some, but maybe not all have Korean neighborhoods.. Not aaa cities like scranton, Norfolk, Durham, Lehigh valley, Pawtucket. (Which I’m sure are all lovely places – and I currently live in scranton).
Plus there is a big difference in accommodations. In philly you will stay at the Sheraton on 9th street and go out to eat at high quality places. In scranton, they stay at the quality inn and go to 50 cent wing night at hiels. Plus being with a mlb team provides him stability – he will be around established veterans who are more inclined to take him under their wing and help his transition. In aaa he will be surrounded by younger and less mature players whom are still struggling to make it themselves and may even look to him for guidance. These are two vastly different worlds.
EVERYONE LISTEN!
Go watch some international games. KOREA BEAT THE HECK OUT of U.S.
Kim demolished them, U.S. is by no means even comparable to Kim and other Korean players.
ALL THIS IS FUNNY, given that those who were a tad lower than the qualities of KIm is talking about demoting him after just a few at-bats.
THIS IS FUNNY EVERYONE!. WHY WOULD HE GO DOWN when he is a legally major leaguer after just a few At Bats?
YOU ALL GO TO BED AND RELAX. HE WILL MAKE A ROSTER AND BE GOOD.IN ONE OR TWO MONTHS.
Great piece of sarcasm, especially the “……… Kim demolished them, U.S. is by no means even comparable to Kim and other Korean players”