Kim Kwang-hyun, an ace pitcher for the SK Wyverns in Korea's professional baseball league, cleared the first hurdle to playing in U.S. Major League Baseball despite a disappointing bid.
SK said Wednesday that the highest bid for Kim from MLB was US$2 million (US$1=W1,096), much lower than what the team had hoped for, but that it decided to support Kim's long-time dream and accept the bid to allow him to start negotiations.
Kim's Puerto Rico-based agent MDR Sports Management will have one month to negotiate a deal with the highest bidder, reported as the San Diego Padres by CBS Sports.
In the current system, neither the Korea Baseball Organization nor SK is officially informed of the bidder's identity.
The bid is substantially below the team's expectations as it hoped for somewhere between US$5 million and $10 million. Ryu Hyun-jin was offered $25.7 million in transfer fees when he moved from the Hanwha Eagles to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012.
"MLB might not see Kim as starting pitcher material, perhaps due to his history of injuries and lack of control," said baseball commentator Min Hoon-ki.
"I sincerely thank my team, manager Kim Yong-heui and my teammates for allowing me this opportunity," Kim said. "Now that I have been given a chance, I will do my best to prove that I am a player to be reckoned with. I will go back to the basics, as if I were a rookie, and prepare for my new challenge."
