St. Louis Cardinals reportedly close deal on Korean left-handed pitcher
In the midst of a winter which has seen the team operate as the least active in Major League Baseball, the St. Louis Cardinals are set to make their first major addition for the 2020 season.
Korean left-handed pitcher Kwang-hyun Kim will be announced at a press conference scheduled at Busch Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.
Kim, 31, has pitched his entire professional career for SK Wyverns of the Korean Baseball Organization, Korea’s top league. He made 30 starts in 2019, winning 17 games and posting a 2.51 ERA.
After missing the 2017 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, Kim returned to KBO with a new-found control that eluded him in the earlier years of his career. He walked only 38 batters in 190 1⁄3 innings pitched last season while striking out 180.
Though pitching almost exclusively as a starter in Korea, Kim offers versatility that would allow the Cardinals to use him out of the bullpen should Carlos Martinez be able to reclaim his spot in the rotation. Despite his never before having pitched in the United States, Kim’s profile strongly resembles that of Miles Mikolas, who the Cardinals signed from Japan before the 2018 season.
As part of the player agreement between MLB and the KBO, the Cardinals will be required to transmit a posting fee to SK Wyverns in exchange for their release of Kim. Though terms of the deal have not been disclosed, it’s expected to total less than $25 million in total value. A deal of that size will require the Cardinals to post a fee of 20% of the total contract value.
Kim once before attempted to leave Korea for the US, as the San Diego Padres posted a fee to discuss a contract with him in 2016. The sides were unable to reach a deal, and Kim remained in Korea. He will become the second Korean-born and trained pitcher to play for the Cardinals, following countryman Seung-hwan Oh.
