SEOUL– From 2007 to 2010, the final four seasons of his 20-year Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) career, former right-hander Kim Won-hyong had the front-row seat to the development of the up-and-coming lefty Kim Kwang-hyun with the SK Wyverns.
After retiring, Kim Won-hyong served in various coaching roles for the Wyverns from 2012 to 2016, including as a pitching coach. He rejoined the organization in 2021 as the manager of what had now become the SSG Landers.
Entering his second season on the bench in 2022, Kim will be reunited with Kwang-hyun as manager and player.
The Landers signed Kim Kwang-hyun to a four-year deal worth a record 15.1 billion won (US$12.3 million) on Tuesday. Kim Kwang-hyun pitched for the Wyverns from 2007 to 2019 and then spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals. He hit free agency just as Major League Baseball (MLB) locked out players over differences on a new collective bargaining agreement. Unable to contact any big league team during a work stoppage, Kim chose to come home.
And his new manager couldn’t have asked for a better offseason signing.
“I’ve played with Kwang-hyun, and I’ve also coached him. When I came back as manager, I was hoping to have a chance to manage him here,” Kim Won-hyong said, hours after the signing was announced. “I told him I was so happy to have him on our team, and I also thanked him for making the decision so quickly under difficult circumstances.”
Kim Kwang-hyun won the KBO regular season MVP in 2008, the same year in which Kim Won-hyong went 12-6 with a 3.15 ERA in a renaissance season at age 36. He never won another game the rest of his career.
With the veteran fading away, Kim Kwang-hyun developed into one of the best starters in the KBO, consistently putting himself among the league leaders in wins, ERA, strikeouts and innings pitched. He posted a 2.97 ERA across 145 2/3 innings over two seasons with the Cardinals.
“I know fans will have high expectations to have one of the best pitchers back here,” Kim Won-hyong said. “I think the players we have now will rally around Kwang-hyun’s return, and this will have a positive impact on the rest of the team.”
The Landers missed the postseason by a half game last season, but Kim’s return immediately makes them a preseason favorite.
“It’s just great to have him,” the manager said. “I’d like to thank the management for improving the ball club.”
The manager added that Kim Kwang-hyun will join the team’s minor league training camp Wednesday. He is unlikely to pitch early in the preseason, which begins Saturday, but should be ready for the start of the regular season on April 2.
Source: Yonhap News Agency