Byung-Hyun Kim?

by Zabat on Mar 20, 2007 12:02 PM PDT

According to the Denver Post the Oakland A's have shown interest in acquiring Byung-Hyun Kim.

I am not sure this is the best move that they could make for a 5th starter. Even with Kennedy's bad spring I don't think Kim will out-perform him.

Jon Leiber is also being shopped by the Phillies. He would make a much better 5th starter for the A's even though he would be more expensive than Kim.

Tweet Comment 26 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Read More: rockies, colorado, trade, byunghyun, kim, bk kim

Comments

BLEH Yung Kim...

If you aren't good enough to be Colorado's fifth starter, than do we really want to fork over $2.5 million for the guy? I know Kennedy is getting rocked right now, but wouldn't one of the minor league starters be a better option than a washed up guy that can't make the Rockies? Rumor has it the Rockies may release Josh Fogg. Heck, he'd be better, younger and cheaper than Kim. Not that I'd want him, but perhaps the A's coaches could work a miracle on him.

Who needs drums and flags and diehards when flashing lights and a monkey can tell you when to cheer? - JLaff

by bzn5150 on Mar 20, 2007 12:29 PM PDT reply actions

Fogg is 30, Kim 28

Fogg has a career 89 ERA+, Kim 113.
Fogg makes $3.625MM, Kim $2.5 MM.

by WaddellCanseco on Mar 20, 2007 1:30 PM PDT up reply actions

Dang!

My poor Kentucky math skills! CURSE MY EYES!!!

Who needs drums and flags and diehards when flashing lights and a monkey can tell you when to cheer? - JLaff

by bzn5150 on Mar 21, 2007 6:23 AM PDT up reply actions

Your sense of humor is intact though. Good for u

by WaddellCanseco on Mar 21, 2007 9:03 AM PDT up reply actions

Intriguing guy

Kim has always intrigued me. He is in many ways the kind of guy that is the classic Moneyball pickup. He has never been a favorite of scouts mostly because they simply don't know how to evaluate him; he is a very strange pitcher and a very strange person. Kim always has veiwed himself as a starter, but was never really given that chance before Colorado. He has always distrubed his pitching coaches because he has wierd throwing habits in that he throws a tremendous amount of pitches on off days and is a workout warrior-- he's basically the baseball equivalent of Vijay Singh. Kim has also always pitched in hitters' parks.

These factors make him the kind of guy who Billy would target. He has very good peripherals, has never been valued by teams that have him, and would perhaps fare better if he was in an environment where he was left alone to do his thing rather than please the preconceived notions of how "baseball men" think a pitcher should act.

I don't have any strong feelings on Kim, but I think there is some upside there if everything clicked for him. He does the one thing a pitcher should do: he misses bats. If everything else worked out, he could be one of those classic Billy moves.

I'd like to eat my lunch, but Billy just kicked me out of my office.

by BlameChannel53 on Mar 20, 2007 12:46 PM PDT reply actions

Peripherals

Good K-rate but a pretty ugly BB-rate. I think it would be a decent pickup.

by mikeA on Mar 20, 2007 12:56 PM PDT up reply actions

that depends on what it would take

have any names been mentioned?

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Mar 20, 2007 12:58 PM PDT up reply actions

yeah seriously

the guy never plays

we have 3 catchers, kendall, melhuse, and one that's a lock in the hall of fame in piazza. trade melhuse, start piazza whenever kendall needs a break(which isn't very often). Then next season bring up suzuki :)

by Cheezombie on Mar 20, 2007 1:29 PM PDT up reply actions

I think BK is worth a try

I had occasion to correspond with a couple of knowledgeable Korean fans when Kim was in his rookie year here, and they were incredibly sold on him. Maybe Oakland would be the place for him to realize that potential. Considering the huge Korean American community in Oakland, he'd certainly have a fan base. An A's cap with hangul on it would be a very cool replacement for my Yabu kanji hat, which I lost a few weeks ago....although I would hope that Kim would outdo Yabu, at least. Plus, we might be able to get the famous Korean cartoonist to come over and do a residency!

"(Zito) swings like a girl and runs like a woman." -- Dan Haren, January 27, 2007.

by Englishmajor on Mar 20, 2007 1:05 PM PDT reply actions

I was just thinking....

"Yabu 2: Electric Boogaloo"

by popcornjames on Mar 20, 2007 5:12 PM PDT up reply actions

thomson (sp?) of the jays

i read somewhere, probably foxsports, that they (the jays) are set with towers as the 5th starter; so either they'll cut him before his "roster bonus hits" or trade him. we could probably get them to pay some of the roster bonus.

simple jedi mind tricks?

by ucla kid on Mar 20, 2007 2:20 PM PDT reply actions

especially if

we can change the name thomson to thomas when they're not looking.

by danh on Mar 20, 2007 9:08 PM PDT up reply actions

I'd feel better about Kim starting

than I do about Kennedy, Halsey, Windsor, or Komine. Not that this is saying much, but it's still the case. Lieber would be awesome (and thus probably not attainable on the cheap). Not sure Fogg is really an upgrade from the "best of" the four stooges.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Mar 20, 2007 6:25 PM PDT reply actions

I Agree ..

Wasn't it in an inter-league game last year in which Kim pitched pretty effectively against us? Or am I thinking of something else? I am getting too old .. Anyways, I don't have much confidence right now in "the four stooges" you have delineated ..

.. the Athletics may be small-market but they have BIG-heart! ..

by Randy Bell on Mar 20, 2007 6:33 PM PDT up reply actions

Jason Jennings

Was the pitcher for the Rockies that had a great game against us. I was at that game. He gave up a lead-off single to start the game to Kendall which was almost snagged by the right fielder and didn't surrender a hit for the rest of the game.

Living in Colorado and seeing a lot of Rockies games I think Kim would be a great fit as a 5th starter or maybe down the road as a spot starter/bullpen relief if the A's make a deal involving Calero or Duchscherer.

by Scutaro The Great on Mar 20, 2007 7:52 PM PDT reply actions

Here, I Googled and Found It ..

Rockies combine for shutout, end Athletics' winning streak
June 20, 2006
CBS SportsLine.com wire reports

.. Kim (4-4) had the A's off balance all night, holding them to four hits in six innings -- not bad for someone who felt weak and queasy from his first pitch to last. "I ate some bad food. My temperature is OK, but my tongue is numb," Kim said. "I feel weak right now. I didn't throw up, but I was shaky. It started after I ate lunch."

The article suggests that Kim had been struggling, but he nonetheless had a good outing against the A's. This is the interleague game I was thinking of.

.. the Athletics may be small-market but they have BIG-heart! ..

by Randy Bell on Mar 20, 2007 8:27 PM PDT up reply actions

Okay, what's up with Billy's sidearm fascination?

First they're trying to get minor leaguers to switch to sidearm/submariner, then we grab one on Rule 5, now we're going after Kim?

Are sidearmers replacing high school pitchers as the new 'undervalued asset'?

"Kotsay is 31... Kotsay's back is 127." - Jeepers

by Ozzz on Mar 20, 2007 8:21 PM PDT reply actions

what about...

...high school pitchers that throw sidearm?

Me and your kid probably have the same IQ!! -Swisher to Chavvy

My Blog

by rungood on Mar 20, 2007 8:27 PM PDT up reply actions

What about pitchers that throw high schools?

"Kotsay is 31... Kotsay's back is 127." - Jeepers

by Ozzz on Mar 20, 2007 9:33 PM PDT up reply actions

Kim, a rarity

Rob Neyer piece writes that its been 80 years since a submariner brought it with velocity in the 90s. He was excellent pitching for Korea, so maybe a clubhouse where he felt comfortable has him regaining his velocity and movement.

"We're Menudo," -BB

by eshock on Mar 20, 2007 8:47 PM PDT reply actions

Unfortunately, with Kim and Kennedy

it may be "six of one, half dozen of the other". In that each will sport an ERA of 6.00. :-(

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Mar 20, 2007 10:06 PM PDT reply actions

Kim would be a great pickup

I wouldn't give up too much value for him, though. His career has been up and down, to say the least.

You have to love his numbers, though. He posted a 4.24 FIP last season, which is in the same range as Blanton, Loiaza, and Zito. Odds are that he'll be a more than sufficient 5th starter.

by MrIncognito on Mar 22, 2007 5:29 PM PDT reply actions