Not up to speed, Kim likely not going places
BRADENTON, Fla. -- Time is running out for Byung Hyun Kim to make an impression on the Sox or any prospective suitors, and his inning of work in yesterday's 5-3 exhibition loss to Pittsburgh -- even though it was three up, three down -- hardly advanced his cause.
"He was at 84 miles an hour," said one major league scout. "I thought my [radar] gun was stuck. He might have touched 85. He's just a shadow of the pitcher he was in Arizona. This is a guy who threw in the 90s when he was in Arizona, and his slider had incredible movement. Now, his slider is flat.
"He's a very, very marginal pitcher right now. I wouldn't give the Red Sox $500,000 for him, and they want a player back because they're willing to eat the money."
The Red Sox owe Kim $6 million this season in the last year of a two-year, $10 million contract Sox general manager Theo Epstein gave him after the 2003 season. He has pitched just 3 2/3 innings in three appearances this spring, in part because he was sidelined several days with the flu. It appears preposterous to believe Kim will win a job in the Sox bullpen coming out of camp; it appears almost as unlikely the Sox will be able to unload him, even though other clubs say the Sox have indicated a willingness to eat all but $1 million of his contract, provided they get a prospect in return.
The Rockies and Brewers have shown interest, but given Kim's performances to date, that interest could dry up in a hurry, if it hasn't already.
Kim, who pitched the fourth inning, striking out one, declined an interview request from reporters, citing the absence of Sox assistant trainer Chang Lee, who serves as his translator.
Sox manager Terry Francona has been charitable toward Kim in his remarks.
"You know what? He was OK," Francona said. "His ball had some life. In his defense, he hasn't been out there much. I want to see him pitch again. I think we may have more confidence in him than he does."
The Red Sox have not found any physical reason for the drastic drop in Kim's velocity.
"I'd like to see him compete," Francona had said Saturday. "As much as he has been talked about, he can still help us win games. He's a guy who could start a game for us. He could be valuable to this club, but we haven't seen it this spring. He hasn't been out there."
Kim is a solitary presence in the Sox clubhouse, with very little interaction with his teammates. "He's a nice kid," Francona said, citing cultural differences as a major reason Kim is not a better fit in the clubhouse. "As far as comfort level between B.K. and his teammates, if a guy pitches well, I think that comfort level gets better in a hurry. When you pitch good or play good, that baggage goes away in a hurry."
A rocky start
Lefthander John Halama gave up hits to seven of the first eight batters he faced yesterday, including a three-run homer by first baseman Craig Wilson in the Pirates' five-run first, then settled down with two scoreless innings in his second spring start.
"I was leaving my ball up in the first inning," he said. The 33-year-old Brooklyn native, who was signed to give the Sox a spot starter and middle reliever, said the Sox are now looking to see him pitch on back-to-back days, something he has never done.
"We'll try to have him cover everything," Francona said. "He's about as low maintenance as there is. Once we get him stretched out enough, we'll go the other way."
Still bugged
Trot Nixon, who missed a few days with the flu, was 0 for 4 in his return . . . Francona said he is hopeful that Johnny Damon, who has been out with cellulitis (a bacterial skin infection), will be able to return for tomorrow night's game . . . Adam Hyzdu's three-run homer in the second off Pirates lefty Oliver Perez accounted for the Sox' runs. It was Hyzdu's second home run of the spring . . . The Sox optioned righthanded pitcher Tim Bausher to Triple A Pawtucket and are awaiting word from righthander Josias Manzanillo on whether he will accept his assignment to the minor leagues or become a free agent . . . So, what's the story behind the T-shirt that read, "Who died and made you Mark Bellhorn?" and was spotted at McKechnie Field yesterday? "My daughter-in-law used to hate Bellhorn, until he hit those home runs in the playoffs," said the guy wearing the shirt, John Profetto, who used to live in Waltham until moving to Brandon, Fla. "So I went out and had this shirt made." . . . Tim Wakefield and Bronson Arroyo will pitch the team's two exhibitions in Arizona March 31 and April 1. Halama and Keith Foulke also will be Arizona-bound, along with regulars Bill Mueller, Bellhorn, David Ortiz, Nixon, Doug Mirabelli, and Jay Payton. The Sox have another exhibition against the Twins in Fort Myers March 31. Jason Varitek, Damon, Edgar Renteria, and Manny Ramirez will remain in Florida, along with pitchers David Wells and Matt Clement. The players still in Florida will rendezvous in New York with teammates for a workout April 2 in Yankee Stadium . . . Pitching coach Dave Wallace will monitor Curt Schilling, who is scheduled to throw two innings in a minor league camp game today, then drive to Vero Beach for this afternoon's exhibition against the Dodgers. Ex-Sox righty Derek Lowe is scheduled to face the Sox.
