SEOUL — The 2015 WBSC Premier12 MVP, South Korea National Team outfielder Hyun-soo Kim, has signed a two-year, $US 7 million agreement with Major League Baseball’s Baltimore Orioles.
In November, Kim’s .333 batting average and 13 RBIs in eight games helped his National Team capture the inaugural Premier12 global championship.
Kim, 28 and a 2008 Olympic gold medalist, had an impressive 2015 season with the Doosan Bears in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) league, where he belted a career-high 28 home runs and batted .326.
The left-hand hitting “iron man” became an international free agent following the 2015 season and his agreement with the Orioles was therefore not subject to any international transfer fees.
Kim’s signing with an MLB club follows in the footsteps of fellow Premier12 National Team teammate, Byung-ho Park, who transferred on December 1 from KBO’s Nexen Heroes to the Minnesota Twins via a 4-year, $US 12 million, with an additional US$ 12.85 million paid to the Heroes by the Twins in transfer fees.
