MLB dream on hold, Kim moves on

INCHEON (Yonhap) ― With his dream of playing in Major League Baseball on hold, South Korean pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun said Thursday he has chosen only to look forward.

Kim, a left-hander for the SK Wyverns in the Korea Baseball Organization, departed for the team’s spring training site in Florida with his teammates.

Speaking to reporters at Incheon International Airport ahead of the flight, Kim said he will try to put his past disappointments behind him.

“I’ve had some difficult times and I was at first disappointed and discouraged,” Kim said. 

“But I am going to forget about all that and tackle new challenges (in the new season).”

Kim was referring to his failed contract talks with the San Diego Padres last month.

The Wyverns posted their prized left-hander and the Padres put in the winning bid of $2 million.

The two sides had 30 days to negotiate but failed to work out a deal.

Kim, 26, said he hasn’t given up on his big league dreams.

He may be posted again after the 2015 season, and he will become an unrestricted free agent in 2016, which means he may sign with any MLB club without going through the posting procedure.

“Whether it’s next year or the year after that, I’d like to see another opportunity to challenge myself (in the majors),” Kim said.

Kim enjoyed a nice bounce-back season in 2014 after dealing with assorted injuries in previous years.

He was 13-9 with a 3.42 ERA, the second-best mark in the league and the lowest among all South Korean pitchers.

Kim also tossed 173 2/3 innings, the most since throwing 193 2/3 innings in 2010, and said he hopes to develop into more of an inning eater.

“I know there are concerns about whether I can throw a lot of innings and whether I may be dealing with aftereffects of earlier injuries,” Kim said.

“I have to throw even more innings (to silence critics).

“That way, I think the teams overseas will see me differently.”

Despite Kim’s efforts on the mound, the Wyverns missed the playoffs for the second straight season in 2014.

Kim said he’d like to expand his pitching arsenal ― it currently features mostly a fastball and a slider ― to help the club.

“We’ve been down on ourselves the past couple of seasons because we missed the playoffs,” Kim said. “But we have a solid club and we’re confident this season. When I take the mound every fifth day, I will do my best to help the team win.”