The Padres have been awarded the top bid for the Korean left--hander.
The San Diego Padres have won the blind-bidding for Korean left-hander Kwang-Hyun Kim, according to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. Kim's club in Korea, the SK Wyverns, will now have four business days to decide whether or not to accept the Padres $2 million bid. Per Rosenthal, the SK Wyverns were seeking a bid in excess of $10 million, so it's no guarantee that San Diego will gain the right to negotiate with Kim.
The 26-year-old Kim is well-regarded in the Korean Baseball Organization, though most don't see him as more than a back-end starter or long reliever at the major league level. In 28 starts this past season, he posted a 3.42 ERA with 145 strikeouts and 81 walks over 173.2 innings pitched. He owns a 3.30 ERA in eight KBO seasons.
If the SK Wyverns except the Padres' bid, San Diego will then have a 30-day window to negotiate a big league contract with KIm. Both the posting fee and Kim's rights would be returned were a deal not to be completed.