Dodgers Interested in Korean Lefty Kwang-Hyun Kim
The Dodgers will be looking to bolster their starting rotation this offseason in all likelihood, with a plethora of options being available to the highest bidder. One of those potentially additions could come in the form of Korean left-hander Kwang-Hyun Kim.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Dodgers, as well as a number of other clubs have shown interest in the 31-year-old.
Latest notes, sign-stealing free edition! An intriguing option for #Reds; reasons to believe in Strasburg; the #Braves big bullpen bet; new education for young players on extensions; #Dodgers/Donaldson; much more. https://t.co/rPNYG0SdQK
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 22, 2019
Amongst the teams said to be interested are the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs, and New York Mets. According to Rosenthal, Kim was posted back in 2014, with the San Diego Padres having the highest bid to negotiate with him. However, San Diego was unable to reach an agreement with him when he was just 26 years old.
With the SK Wyverns of the KBO League, Kim posted an excellent 2.51 ERA with 180 strikeouts over 190 1/3 innings. Across 12 seasons overseas, he has racked up a 136-77 record with a 3.27 ERA.
According to Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs, Kim should receive a contract somewhere in the neighborhood of two years and $14 million. Scouts say Kim’s slider is an above-average major league pitch and has some real swing and miss potential.
With another countryman left-hander potentially leaving the Dodgers this offseason, they could find a new Korean left-hander in Kim. Although it appears to be just preliminary interest on the Dodgers’ part, this could easily be a deal that comes to fruition considering the inexpensive nature of Kim’s prospective contract.
Yeah, because we don’t have enough left handed starters already!
Perfect for the FO though. Don’t pay Ryu, say Cole and Wheeler are too expensive, and sign this guy to keep the fanbase that loved Ryu coming back to the stadium..
Might as well sign Ryu then he’s only a year older. What they really need to do is stop trying to be cute and just sign Cole