226 replies to this topic

[bnickle]

I don't think the O's players are going to be dicks but it's not going to go over well over the long haul if they know a AA talent rookie is keeping an undeserved roster spot because he won't agree to go down to AAA.

[Mike in STL]

I don't think the O's players are going to be dicks but it's not going to go over well over the long haul if they know a AA talent rookie is keeping an undeserved roster spot because he won't agree to go down to AAA.

I hope they treat it like a college basketball team when the 13th guy comes off the bench. When Kim gets his ABs, they all hang on the rail like it's the walk on finally getting a chance to play.

If there really is a deserving replacment...which there probably isn't...they have no problem dropping Kim. They flushed what $25M down the drain last year in DFAs? What's $7M?

[JeremyStrain]

I think we are all overlooking a tiny silver lining to this Kim thing.

 

What has been pretty much a guaranteed L for this team the last few years? When you look and see some low velocity junk ball pitcher or AAAA guy no one has ever heard of getting his first start against us. Now we finally have a guy that can hit junk ballers!!!

 

Hmmm...now that I think of it.

 

TOR:

Stroman (my boy) - 93.5 mph

Dickey - 81.4 mph

Happ - 92.0 mph

Sanchez - 93.3 mph

 

BOS:

Price - 94.0 mph

Buchholz - 91.9 mph

Kelly - 95.3 mph

Porcello - 91.0 mph

Wright - 83.4 mph

 

NYY:

Tanaka - 92.0 mph

Pineda - 92.5 mph

Eovaldi - 96.0 mph

Severino - 95.2 mph

Sabathia - 90.3 mph

 

TB:

Archer - 95.0 mph

Smyly - 90.3 mph

Odorizzi - 91.1 mph

Moore - 91.8 mph

 

 

There are your AL East rotations and their average FB velocity in 2015. You can pick a couple guys you could hit Kim against, but not a whole lot.

[JTrea81]

I would probably agree if he were guaranteed to be called up within a reasonable amount of time. Otherwise he could just be stuck their for the entire two years, or at least a very long time, which he would probably hate. 

 

Right. After Kim's agents and Kim saw what happened with Yoon, there was no way he'd agree to a contract where he could be sent down to the minors.  If he stunk there, he'd likely never see a ML pitch. 

 

The Orioles were stuck too because they screwed up so badly in Korea before, they had to give Kim what they wanted to try to get something positive out of the pipeline.  Duquette likes the Asian markets so he's not going to just abandon one.

 

Had they released Kim, nobody in the KBO would have wanted to sign with the team for any bargain price.  Korea would be essentially closed off to the Orioles, while teams like the Twins and Pirates continue to find talent from there at bargain prices.

 

Kim was stuck as well, because if he agreed to a re-assignment, he would set a precedent that any player, not just a KBO player, with a guaranteed contract could be bullied into being sent to the minors if the team felt they weren't performing.

 

The best scenario is the one that happened from this mess.  Now everybody has to move on and figure out how to make Kim a success.  To me he has to play everyday in LF, not Rickard.  The Orioles have to see what they truly have and Kim needs to get that shot before he'll agree to anything else but being on the ML roster.  Rickard doesn't have a whole country to worry about if he doesn't get playing time.  He's just happy to make the roster.

 

Also keeping Rickard on the bench allows you to move him around the OF as a defensive replacement and PR, where he will have the most value.  Not to mention he is less likely to get overexposed as pitchers will adapt to his swing.  The less he plays, the less he has to adjust.

[SportsGuy]

Hyun Soo Kim: "Very happy to be on the roster.....Not too sure what kind of reaction the fans might have being new here."

[JTrea81]

Hyun Soo Kim: "Very happy to be on the roster.....Not too sure what kind of reaction the fans might have being new here."

 

Anybody that boos him is an idiot.

[BSLSteveBirrer]

He may suck right now. He may suck a long time. He may NEVER be a MLB level ballplayer. But he IS an Oriole right now and I never boo a bird.

[RichardZ]

I don't think the O's players are going to be dicks but it's not going to go over well over the long haul if they know a AA talent rookie is keeping an undeserved roster spot because he won't agree to go down to AAA.

 

 

If the players are smart they will know he's on the roster because he's making the Orioles enforce the contract he and they agreed to just like any other ML player would do.    It's the Orioles who are putting him on the roster when they don't have to.    They made a mistake in signing him and can't admit it.   Now they are cutting off their nose to spite their face.

[RichardZ]

Anybody that boos him is an idiot.

 

 

Was just about to call your idea of playing him everyday in LF idiotic, which it is, but totally agree with the above.

[JTrea81]

Was just about to call your idea of playing him everyday in LF idiotic, which it is, but totally agree with the above.

 

Is it really though?  The more ABs he gets, the quicker he'll either sink or swim.  Had the Orioles played him every day in ST and if he cooled off again, then perhaps he'd be open to a demotion to AAA.  But they haven't given him the playing time.  Worst case -if you give him regular time, and he's embarassing himself out there, the quicker he's off the roster because he seems like proud player that won't want to continue and will accept a demotion at that time or agree to a buyout.  Or best case - he gets acclimated quicker and takes over the LF job and contributes to the lineup.

 

Not to mention Rickard can be really valuable coming in as a defensive replacment/PR for Trumbo in close games.  Reimold is probably just as poor a defender as Trumbo out there according to DRS so the Orioles don't have that guy they can put in there other than Flaherty if Rickard isn't available as a reserve.

 

Kim starting and Rickard as a reserve puts both players where they have the best chance to succeed.

[Mackus]

Kim starting is a terrible idea. Why would you intentionally play inferior players? They obviously think Rickard and Reimold are both better options offensively and defensively. The team is trying to contend, play the best players. I also don't think playing Kim everyday gives him a better chance at success if he's clearly over matched already.

They'll give him some sporadic time here and there, and if he manages to produce, his role will grow. He'll basically be treated like a Rule 5. I think they should've just released him if they are this down on him.

[SammyBirdland]

Prediction:  Kim starts a few games, then heads to the DL with a lacerated ego tendon, and heads to Norfolk for rehab.

[Mike in STL]

Prediction:  Kim starts a few games, then heads to the DL with a lacerated ego tendon, and heads to Norfolk for rehab.

Yes. The old hidden pothole trick that Ubaldo fell for,

[SportsGuy]

7. Hyun Soo Kim, LF, Orioles — Can we put him in the same outfield with Rusney Castillo on the all-bust team among international free agents? The Orioles don’t know what to do with him. One scout who watched Kim in Korea is shocked by how slow he’s been to adapt to the majors. “It may take him a while, just as it took [Jung Ho] Kang a while to adapt,” said the scout. “The Orioles would be smart to exercise patience because he’s a very good hitter.”

 

http://www.bostonglo...l?event=event25

[CA-ORIOLE]

http://www.bostonglo...l?event=event25

Yeah, I actually do think he may be able to hit. How much, how fast and if it's all worth keeping him on the roster is another question. 

[RichardZ]

Yeah, I actually do think he may be able to hit. How much, how fast and if it's all worth keeping him on the roster is another question. 

 

 

He's not worth keeping on the roster.   That's just an opinion but I don't think this guy is any better than any outfielder we have on the team and no better than guys like Avery and Alvarez in AAA.   Walker is probably better but it's a huge question on whether he can play a passable OF.    I think the scouts totally missed on this guy.     I think Buck made the call on this guy's talent and even though I think Buck is fallible, I don't think he would have pulled the plug so fast on this guy if he had a chance of being a ML regular.

[CA-ORIOLE]

He's not worth keeping on the roster.   That's just an opinion but I don't think this guy is any better than any outfielder we have on the team and no better than guys like Avery and Alvarez in AAA.   Walker is probably better but it's a huge question on whether he can play a passable OF.    I think the scouts totally missed on this guy.     I think Buck made the call on this guy's talent and even though I think Buck is fallible, I don't think he would have pulled the plug so fast on this guy if he had a chance of being a ML regular.

Yeah, that's my instinct as well. fortunately we've been playing so well, an extra pitcher, reliever, defensive replacement, pinch runner/hitter etc, hasn't cost as anything at this point.

[FFH]

My instinct is that he won't be ready to really contribute for another year.

He came into this with the wrong mindset, and that put him further behind than he would have been had he prepared himself properly.

I think he will, if given the chance and a little time, be a good player.  Unfortunately the O's right now are going to eat some of that time.

[BSLSteveBirrer]

Three at bats and three weak ground balls. And how telling is it that they pinch ran Reimold for him and to play defense. When Reimold gets in a game as a defensive sub then the other guy must really really be bad.

[SportsGuy]

LOL:

Kim: "Really excited the team is winning. I was slightly concerned the team could lose today with me playing. Tried my best."