Report: Korean star pitcher Kim in contract talks with Cardinals
Korean left-hander Kwang-Hyun Kim is in St. Louis for a physical and contract talks with the Cardinals, a source told Jeeho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency.
The news was confirmed by Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic, who adds the two sides are still addressing some issues but the Cardinals are working hard to make a deal happen.
Should the Cardinals sign Kim to a major-league deal, the team will owe SK Wyverns of the Korean Baseball Organization a transfer fee based on a percentage of the contract's value.
The hurler looked like he was heading to the majors in 2014 when the San Diego Padres won the right to negotiate with him. However, the two sides were unable to reach an agreement.
Kim, 31, owns a career 136-77 record with a 3.27 ERA across 12 years in the KBO.
The Cardinals enjoyed success in the past with international free agents. Right-hander Miles Mikolas returned to the majors from Japan in 2018 and authored a 3.46 ERA over 64 starts during the last two seasons while being a mainstay in the starting rotation.