Orioles finalize 2-year deal with Hyun Soo Kim
The Baltimore Orioles officially have a corner outfielder to play alongside Adam Jones next season, finalizing a two-year deal with international free agent slugger Hyun Soo Kim on Wednesday.
Hyun Soo Kim signed his contract and toured Oriole Park today. #Birdland pic.twitter.com/zziP7MHlHr
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) December 23, 2015
The deal is believed to be worth $7 million and Kim couldn't be more excited to fulfill his dream of coming to the majors after 10 years playing in Korea.
"He was a big fan (of MLB) since he was very little and now he thinks that he could cry ... but he will not," Kim said via a translator.
The 27-year-old hit an impressive .326/.438/.541 with 28 homers for the Doosan Bears last year. Orioles general manager Dan Duquette believes his success overseas will translate to the North American game.
"He runs fine, throws fine, and he has good instincts," Duquette noted. "He has a nice disposition."
Another major selling point for Duquette is Kim's durability. He played in 98 percent of his team's games in the Korean Baseball Organization, which just increased its number of regular-season games to 144 from 128 in 2015.