3:57pm: The Cards have introduced Kim. It’s a two-year, $8MM deal, Goold tweets. Kim can also achieve up to $1.5MM in incentives in each year of the contract, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). The deal includes protection against a minor-league demotion, per Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap (via Twitter).
1:28pm: The Cardinals have struck a deal with Korean pitcher Kwang-hyun Kim, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). Contract details aren’t yet known, but a formal introduction has already been scheduled.
It emerged yesterday that Kim was not only in talks with the Cards, but had traveled to St. Louis in an effort to finalize a contract. While the seriousness of the interest was pretty clear, we now have a final resolution.
Long considered one of the most talented hurlers in his native South Korea, Kim nearly came to the majors way back in 2014. While the Padres were willing to pay a $2MM posting fee, the club couldn’t work out a contract with Kim.
Under the current posting system, every team in baseball was free to negotiate with Kim once his former club, SK Wyverns, decided to make him available. Rather than an up-front fee, the amount is determined in reference to the contract itself. Presuming that this contract includes less than $25MM in guaranteed money, the Cards will pay twenty percent of the total value to SK Wyverns.
Kim has long been a productive hurler in his native Korea. Though he has had some health issues at times, he’s coming off of a full 2019 campaign. While offense was down across the Korea Baseball Organization, Kim still stood out for his 190 1/3 innings of 2.51 ERA ball. He recorded 180 strikeouts against 38 walks on the year.
It’s not yet clear how the Cards intend to utilize Kim. Long a starter in the KBO, he certainly could be given a shot in the rotation, though doing so would likely mean bumping Carlos Martinez back into the bullpen. It’s possible the club will simply allow both pitchers to stretch out in camp and then hold off on a decision until the season arrives.
People forget the cardinals have had some Asian players. So Taguchi was beast.
Game 2 of the 2006 NLCS, baby!
That game still haunts me as a mets fan along with game 1 of the 2015 World Series
Duda’s throwing attempt home haunts everyone.
Yes. I like it. I just want to know about the contract details, how many years and the salary per season. Let’s go Cards.
Most reports were guessing 2 years at 2 million a year
2yrs/$8million
Plus the possibility of $3 Million more in incentives.
Max 2 yrs/$11 Mil
I don’t know if I like it or not that’s what I hate about these deals. He simply hasn’t faced major league hitters. He could be a solid starter or bullpen guy or complete garbage. Seems steep for a guy you’re taking a flyer on but maybe scouts liked what they saw idk. Hard for me to have much of an opinion on the matter I don’t follow the kbo
While I’m glad the Cardinals Front Office FINALLY did something….. after a full year… what’s happening to all of this…”We Have the Resources and have the Money?” Does No MLB Team want to trade for any of the Cardinal prospects or C. Martinez?????
What he did to the Kyle farnsworth
The final boss!!!
That has to be the weirdest nickname ever…..
Stone Budha baby! Final Boss.
Interesting signing.
That’s one way of putting it. “Meh” would be another. “Bleah” would be a third. “I guess this is Mo’s big fr-ücking ‘free agent’ move of the year signing” would be a fourth.
Would be a badly needed lefthanded starting option who the last few years has pitched extremely well. When did Mo say he was signing a big free agent? Not on the hook for much money, a ground ball pitcher which benefits the cards defense. He has potential to be a solid starter and could very well be a miles mikolas type pitcher that we had 2 years ago.
I never said Mo actually said he was going to. My point was, and is, that Mo offers this type of stuff up as significant FA activity.
Housmandzaeh championship!
Will be a nice match, providing flexibility in multiple areas to the roster, and gives some reliability.
If he can do what Merrill Kelly did in his transition, he should be a solid pitcher (Kim was better than Kelly in the same league)
Where’s the photo-shopped cardinals jersey of Kim? I was really digging those!
Seems like a good signing presuming he came at a much cheaper rate than the going market for starters. It’s about time they get a lefty!
Wow. The division rival with the under the radar move. I like it.
Excited to see him throw – I hope he was much cheaper than Keuchel.
I’d much rather have signed Ryu who has proven himself in the big leagues, or for sure Keuchel, but of course it’s not my money. Being the Mo skeptic that I am, I think this is “classic Mo (and Girsch I suppose),” trying to make one of these quiet moves that makes him look like a genius – like the Mikolas signing (before he tanked this year that is). Definitely needed a lefty, but the Cards could afford Ryu or Keuchel.
Neither of your options had great years last year, are almost definitely asking for more (or too much!) money and this is likely a bargain flyer on a high upside guy.
We know the upside for Ryu and Keuchel and their asking prices are with upside included. You take a chance on a different guy knowing that you’re buying potential at a cheaper rate rather than hoping 2019 was not the new norm for the established players. It’s likely a 2 year deal and likely for less than 40 mil. Way better than having to over-commit to 3-5 year deals for the other two guys knowing that 2019 showed decent regression from career norms for both.
All of your comments are mostly right except Ryu is coming off a career year by far. Did you even look?
Ryu hasn’t proven himself. If you take out 2019, he’s a mid-rotation arm about to be overpaid off one good year, which is the first year he went over 150 IP since his second year, and still didn’t set a career high in innings. The only reason this signing could be panned is if it takes away innings from younger arms going forward. I guarantee you this is a 3 year deal and no more than $10 million a year after incentives. It’s a decent enough signing at face value and a potentially great value play.
I would have like Keuchel too, but it sounds as if his price is too high, especially considering his new baseline after 2018 and his half 2019.
Why do people have this absurd notion that Mikolas tanked in 2019? He was a 2.5 WAR pitcher with an ERA just over 4 in the year of the juiced baseball. He wasn’t sixth in Cy Young voting for a second year, but he was a very respectable starting pitcher, far from horrible.
As another note, I’m not sure where you are getting your numbers here Dave, but Ryu was almost a Cy Young winner in 2019. He sure wasn’t showing regression in my book.
I’m in agreement. Miles wasn’t the same as he was, but that’s because the league made adjustments and he didn’t for a couple months. He still pitched well and everything was there, just like it was in 2018. He didn’t tank, just wasn’t as good. It’s pitching. That happens, especially for pitchers who haven’t had great success at the Majors previously.
He also struggled with fly balls turning into homeruns, like 90% of the rest of the league. Take out the juiced balls and his numbers are even better than the decent ones he put up. He struggled early, adjusted to the change, and was a quality starting pitcher moving forward, exactly what you want in a major league starter.
Bingo.
Actually, after April, allowing for monthly variations, he was about the same all year long, and still not as good as 2018. https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.fcgi?id=mikolmi01&year=2019&t=p
I guess “tanked” is too strong, but Mikolas definitely wasn’t the same consistent pitcher he was in ‘18.
He has admitted he wasn’t adjusting as quick as the league is remember he’s and efficient pitch to contact and the ball juiced he recovered and made it a decent season, this should fortify our rotation/bullpen as well as everyone forgetting a healthy Reyes reports to ST and ready for the closing job I bet
Oh, no. 1..8 War on B-ref, not 2.5, and that’s versus 4.1 the year before. 103 ERA+ last year. Maybe tanked is a bit strong, but regressed? Hellz yes he did. https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mikolmi01.shtml
Fangraphs has Mikolas as 2.5 WAR last year, and because their methodology uses FIP as their base-line WAR, it’s generally considered to be a more accurate measure of a pitcher’s value than Baseball Reference’s.
Fine. So he regressed a small bit less by fWAR, falling to only 2.5 fWAR from 4.2. Still regression.
Oh, and while FIP is nice, it’s not perfect itself either. Or even all that close. Indeed, a Fangraphs blogger, speaking of Fangraphs, doesn’t like it and has numerous objections. I generally agree with what he says, as well as having objections of my own. Per both him and me, if Fangraphs can’t even address the park factor by using xFIP, well … that means we shouldn’t say a lot about either FIP or Fangraphs.
https://community.fangraphs.com/why-i-dont-use-fip/https://community.fangraphs.com/why-i-dont-use-fip/
That’s what I was thinking. He couldn’t be more wrong about Ryu.
I would not say Mikolas tanked.
Another stupid comment.
Troll
I agree, I shouldn’t have said “tanked.” Let’s go with “regressed.” Is that smarter? 🙂
Did he even regress? His HR went up the same amount as league average. Only change was he gave up more home runs when men were on base vs 2018 when they were mainly solo shots.
Yes he regressed. Was league leader in some stats in 2018 but regressed to reality in 2019.. Not saying he was terrible but was more of an average ML pitcher as opposed to one of the best in the league a year earlier. Did not suddenly go back to his pre KBO days but definitely not the same guy the year before.
I don’t have his stats in front of me but even accounting for the league-wide HR rate spike, he wasn’t close to the same consistent pitcher last year. Awful? No way, but definitely not a borderline #1 like in ‘18.
I just wonder what this does for Carlos and if he’s trade bait. I’m in the “he’s going to figure it all out and be a reliable starter” camp, so I hope we keep him.
Per Goold, teams are not (currently) inquiring on Martinez’s availability. That can change closer to or during spring.
I don’t understand why the cardinals would trade Martinez…his Value is low and he is a great arm out of the pen
He only regressed if you honestly believed that the 2018 version was who he was supposed to be.
And you probably bought a winning lottery ticket that same day.
The Cardinals wouldn’t be able to afford both one of them *AND* the quality outfield bat they badly need. Besides, the Cards wouldn’t have the option of putting them in the bullpen if Martinez is able to rejoin the rotation.
Totally with you. In fact, they could also still afford to trade for Price if they dump some stuff back. Sawks have black hole at second and Carp has played there before.
Nobody is taking Carpenter in a trade, unless a reasonably high prospect is included in the deal………Carp has clearly started the decline that typically plagues players in their 30’s……and he’s already 34.
And he’s a terrible defensive 2B……
The extension was a HUGE Gaffe by Mo. They should have simply “exercised their option”……and work it out from there (one year at a time)
Yeah, but have you seen who Boston has at 2B? It’s a fricking black hole.
My proposal works the other way. The Cards take back Jackie Bradley as well as Price. They’re the “willing suitor” for Boston to get under the lux tax, plus offering the Sox somebody suitable. And, really, really. Look at who Boston does NOT have at second right now. This would help them.
On my proposal, unless it’s “roster fill” type minors stuff, because the Cards would be doing Boston that much salary favor help, I wouldn’t give them anything else back.
Is he related to Byung?
wiki says 21.5% of population are kims.
Much like 21..5% of California are Kardashians.
i guess you lowered to their level.
All I can think of is an old M*A*S*H episode when a bunch of Kims showed up for medical treatment one day and Hawkeye said “This must be our Kim Lucky day”
How about BJ when approached by a merchant: “Ah, Mr. Kim, of Hart, Shafner and Kim”……
(I’m on my 300th viewing of each episode)
(And I’m not a least bit ashamed of it).
The Greatest Sitcom.
Ever.
Likewise on the reruns! Watch a couple every night
gourzman1…….awesome episode……
Hawkeye: What’s your name?
Patient: (shows paper that says Kim Luck)
Hawkeye: “Another Kim Luck? Can you Identify Yourself?”
Patient “THIS IS ME!”
Hawkeye: “This must be our Kim-Lucky Day”
Seinfeld?
Knowing the Cubs were interested makes the signing sweeter!
That’s yet to be determined…the cubs were also interested in Cecil
Cecil was a hot FA, not like the guy didnt have talent & production.
I know he was…that’s not the point…a lot of teams were interested in him, including the cubs, but it doesn’t matter if he had talent and production…he was a big 0 for the cardinals
Like Dexter Fowler ?
hoped the angels grabbed him.
Must have been the massive snow storm that convinced him to sign in St. Louis! Who wouldn’t say yes to a Midwest winter lol
lol!
Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic that this team has to sign AAA pitchers from across the world when real talent is sitting out there.
This guy is not a AAA talent. Obviously he might not have the same success here vs. Korea but the guy is one of the best in his league.
If he comes from Korean League, he’s AAA talent. That league is no better than the PCL.
The best performers in the PCL usually get a shot at the bigs and many of them play well at that level. So what, exactly, is your point?
Many, many, many AAA players don’t survive in MLB. That’s my point. And none of them make millions to sign until proven they can do it. This guy is 31. How many 31 year old players get called up from AAA for the FIRST time? You can move along now. You have failed Common sense class.
Common sense that a person making plenty of money in their own country would just stay there close to his family and culture….now he wants to cash in for his talent…which looks promising
Can you do better?? Until you have signed a major league contract, shut your mouth and keep your negative comments to yourself!!
Cash in? He’s the 4th highest paid player in the KBO at $1.5 billion south korean won, which translates to $1.28M USD
Ok? So he is the 4 highest paid in the league…which proves that he is worth something…so you eat your own words there…and We don’t know what the contract is but I’m sure he will make more than 1.28 mil a year here…so yea, cash in
Besides the fact that a number of players have received and will continue to receive multi-million dollar extensions before playing their first MLB game, Kim would have been “called up” 5 years ago if he could’ve reached terms with the Padres, and if he had been born in America he conceivably could have been called up before that. The fact that he won’t be making his major league debut until age 31 is related to the restrictions on his mobility between leagues and countries, not a measure of his talent.
You are a stupid person.
Annnnnnddddd CFAP reported once again
Comment of the Day.
Miklos should not have been signed out of the Japanese league based on your theory. Guess the Cards would have missed out on the ML leader in wins in 2018 if they would have followed your common sense and not shelled out $15.5 million for him for the 2018 season when he showed nothing in he brief time in the majors prior heading to Japan……smh…..
Actually prior to the 2014 season, the Padres paid a posting fee and tried to sign him, but he declined to do so. If he had been at AAA, he would have been on their team at the age of 25. Maybe even earlier if the team had control and could pay him the minimum.
You are grasping at straws to decry anything the Cardinals FO does.
Or what? You’re gonna sic Goold on CFAP?
Really ? He/she has never played so have no opinion ? Good nobody talk about a president until you have been one. Skip bayless Ken Rosenthal and Mlb trade rumors should shut down because they have never played ? Good lord
I just hope he can hit
Real talent you’d have to overpay to get. This is a good possibly underrated signing
CaptainFAP, do you ever do anything besides complain?
He also FAPs.
Everyone was thinking it. Glad someone said it.
You still haven’t figured out what CFAP is short for, have you? It really doesn’t matter.
No one cares about your stupid acronym. Nor do they care about your opinions regarding baseball. You’re simply a troll who has nothing better to do than try to make people as miserable as you are.
You really think my life reflects what is on this forum? You must lead a sad life. This site must be the highlight of your day if that’s how you look at your life. I use this as a way to get my daily requirement of laughter. Quit taking yourself so serious.
Cubs falling apart party
It obviously does or you wouldn’t feel the need to respond. Between your constant whining and childish name calling you have very little substance to add to these discussions.
CPAP with spelling error?
Comment of the Day….
Here comes mister negative….
In this market anything that might get you a pitcher at less than ridiculous money should be explored. This seems like a gamble worth taking.
If your so smart maybe you should apply for GM job. Tell DeWitt how good you run your fantasy baseball team.
Other people already have. A year ago, Miklasz said DeWitt needed to put a crowbar in DeWallet. Not every St. Louis sports analyist is a Post-Dispatch Cardinals stanner.
I’m guessing you would have said the same thing when they signed Miles the first time
Me think Waino may be pushed to the bullpen. Flaherty, Mikolas, Hudson, Kim, CMart
Assuming full health, it’s the move that makes the most sense. You could even pair Waino with Martinez early and hold Carlos to 50 pitches a game at first if you are worried about hitting 200 innings after shortened past seasons until injury hits and you need Waino in a full starter spot.
I would expect Carlos in the bullpen over Waino. This team lacks a closer currently.
No, the idea is that Kim goes to the bullpen if Martinez rejoins the rotation. The Cardinals keep struggling to find solid left-handed relief pitching, anyway.
As for the closer, they already have the perfect candidate in Gallegos.
I like it gives a lefty starter makes Martinez closer make the bullpen and rotation stronger would like to a trade for a bat. Upgrade
Korean pitchers wouldn’t make the Purdue Boilermakers rotation . Good for the birds, cheap cheap
i guess you’d eat your words or just get a new tag when you are proven wrong.
I’m guessing you will be nowhere to be found either if this guy bombs. Most streets go both ways…not just your direction.
cards must have scouted him extensively considering how quickly they signed him. if he doesn’t work out it should be scouts’ fault.
Ryu is from Korea…? So I’m confused…are the Purdue Boilermakers awesome or are you just looking stupid?
Khal Stephen Purdue 2021. Yes ryu is great so all Korean pitchers are studs. Lebron James came from what high school ? How many have made the pros ? Good GOD Mlb pitchers who can’t make the mlb anymore go to Korea to pitch . This guy pitches to rice farmers and bus drivers. Mike Trout shakes in his cleats 🙂
I’m usually on the side that racist claims are generally overblown on this site, but that was a pretty blatant one. Yikes.
Rice production in South Korea is important for the food supply in the country, with rice being a common part of the Korean diet. In 2009, South Korea produced 3,899,036 metric tonnes (4,297,951 tons) of rice.[1]
Rice is the most valuable crop in South Korea.
I have no respect for someone like you…I guess pitching to these people is better than being drunk and making stupid comments on mlbtraderumors…try to refrain from looking even more stupid
So because rice is their number one crop, the entirety of Korean people are either rice farmers or bus drivers and baseball is what, a hobby? Yeesh man, the statistics aren’t helping your case here.
Let’s see if he was from Indiana I’d say grain farmer if from North Carolina tobacco farmer . Detroit auto worker . Boo hoo cards fans don’t like someone thinking every signing they do isn’t great . My bad he will be better than Cole or Strasburg. Korean baseball is so much better then American baseball . Idiot
I never once said he was going to be a good pitcher or claimed that Korean baseball is better than the MLB in any of my comments to you. Just pointing out that it’s probably not a great idea to stereotype an entire race just to get your point across. Doesn’t really come across too great in today’s day and age.
Lol now you are trying to call us idiots because you have proved to be a bigot and are trying to cover it up…like we don’t see right through that lol good try lmao
You Forget this is America and as you have freedom of speech I have that same freedom. Boo hoo someone doesn’t agree with you so you call them a bigot . Easy escape but I’m old enough I don’t care what you think and if you are offended who gives a crap to Cheyenne
You should care…because you have the power of freedom of speech doesn’t mean you should use it to be a bigot…I guess you don’t understand the power of freedom of speech…everyone really has the freedom of speech…some get punished for saying stupid things because that country doesn’t allow it..Never the less they have the power to say what they want …that might be bad or good but what is for sure is that you should never use freedom of speech in the name of hatred or bigotry…I hope you understand that
Look at what Merrill Kelly did in Korea and then translated it to the MLB
Also, Oh and Ryu
This may be a prelude to a major trade coming for the Cardinals in the next few days. I like it!
Yea, sure. Nice comment.
I don’t watch much Cardinals, but it seems like this will help them, although they should really start looking at lineup improvements now. Good pickup.
Where can I watch the press conferance
Daaang for 8m?? I’ll take that all day. Dude seems pretty solid. For sure another option for the 5th roto spot, also with Reyes and cmart, but his slider would probably play out of the pen pretty well too. Didn’t think I’d say this over the course of this offseason, but good job Mo. now go get Dickerson or deal Oniell and another outfielder for one that can actually hit a little bit.
2/8 is the deal.
2/$8M+incentives. If you have low expectations you won’t be disappointed.
Welcome to Mr KK and can he hit?
What happened to the Final Boss, Oh? He was quite good at times, and ok at other times.
Cardinals should roll with what they have. Maybe trade a couple overachievers for some high risk high reward return. They have Arozarena, O’Neil, Bader and other youngsters that should get a legitimate chance.
How long do they have to make a roster move they are one over trade coming??
FOR DISCUSSION: Could this ever happen? Am I on crack? Is this too much/little?
Cardinals send Gomber, Reyes, J Martinez & O’Neill to Indians for Clevinger & a hairnet