Reports: Orioles agree to deal with outfielder Hyun-soo Kim
The Baltimore Orioles have agreed to a deal with South Korean outfielder Hyun-soo Kim, reports Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.
CBS Sports’s Jon Heyman confirmed the news. Kim will reportedly sign a two-year, $7 million contract to join the Orioles after flying to Baltimore this week to meet with the team.
Kim, 27, hit .326 with a .438 OBP, 28 home runs and 128 RBIs last season playing left field and occasionally first base for the Doosan Bears, appearing in 141 of 144 games. He also walked 101 times to just 63 strikeouts. He is noted for his durability and hitting ability, and provides a lefthanded bat to the Orioles’ lineup. He is listed at 6'2", 220 and is a career .318 hitter.
• Free agent-tracker: Follow every move
Kim was an international free agent due to the length of his career in Japan, thus avoiding the posting process where other professional teams bid for players’ negotiation rights. He becomes the second Korean player to make the jump to MLB this offseason, after first baseman Byung-ho Park signed with the Minnesota Twins.
Only Adam Jones is currently set to return in the Baltimore outfield, with Chris Davis still unsigned. Connolly reports that signing Kim will not affect the team’s pursuit of any other players, including Davis.
- Jeremy Woo
