Kim Transfer at Crossroads
By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
Free agent Kim Dong-joo reckons salary does not matter.
A team? Position? Neither.
But those were not enough to attract a Japanese baseball team to sign up the batter.
Kim’s effort to move to the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league almost seems to be in vain as his last resort, the Chiba Lotte Marines, expressed no intention of acquiring the South Korean third baseman.
Marines manager Bobby Valentine of the United States inquired about him to the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) earlier this month, hinting the two sides were close to signing, but the team was unhappy with the boss because he had not discussed the inquiry with the Marines.
As a result, Marines’ President Ryuzo Setoyama said he would not sign a contract extension with Valentine, who led the team to the Japan Series championship in 2005, irrespective of next season’s outcome.
With the Marines’ pullout, the 32-year-old’s transfer woe is likely to continue.
Kim produced 19 home runs and 78 RBIs with a batting average of .322 and became eligible for free agency last year.
However, the situation went against him when offensive-minded third baseman Takahiro Arai also filed for free agency and his value in the market was not as high as expected.
After his failure to find a team, the Bears courted him with a 6.2 billion won, four-year deal, but Kim turned down the offer and instead agreed to a one-year contract to play in Japan.
In 2008, he batted .309 with 18 homers and 104 RBIs to help the Bears reach the Korean Series for the second straight year, but the yen’s strengthening on the U.S. dollar has brought former U.S. Major Leaguers, such as Kevin Mench and Dan Johnson, to Japan.
Outfielder Mench of the Hanshin Tigers played for the Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers and Toronto Blue Jays during seven seasons and has blasted 89 long balls with 330 RBIs, while Johnson of the Yokohama Bay Stars had a four-year career in the big league with the Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays.
Japanese baseball clubs favor power hitters in selecting an import player, but Kim, a good spread hitter, has never lofted the ball over the wall more than 20 times since 2003.
The Marines are even considering bringing back free agent Tadahito Iguchi, who played for the World Series champion, Philadelphia Phillies, last season.
With a move looking uncertain, Kim’s future looks to be with the Doosan Bears, where he began his KBO career in 1998.
``We are waiting for Kim’s decision. If he stays with the Bears, we are going to honor him according to his output,’’ the team said.
According to Kim’s agent, Kim plans to make a final decision this week.