Kim Byung-hyun Hit the 3.25 Jackpot

The ‘Korean Nuclear Sub’ Kim, Byung-Hyun (24. Arizona Diamondbacks) hit the jackpot.

Kim Byung-hyun`s agent Jeff Murad negotiated with the President of Arizona Joe Garaziola on the 17th and agreed on the one year contract of Kim Byung-hyun.

According to the condition that Murad announced, the basic salary is 3.25 million dollars (around 3.9 billion won), and up to 600,000 dollars of option is included. Therefore, if all the options are fulfilled, the salary can go up to 3.85 million dollars (around 4.62 billion won).

That 3.25-million-dollar is 4 times more than his unchanged salary since his first year in the Major in 1999 of 762,500 dollars (minimum salary of the Major League 200,000 dollars plus yearly installment of the signing bonus of 2.25 million dollars in 4 years). If we consider the rapidly cooled the Stove League of the Major League, and he is a closer not a starter, this is an exceptional deal.

It is rare for a player, who has a right to arbitrate the salary after 3 full seasons in the Major, to get a yearly salary more than 3 million dollars in the first year. An outfielder of Atlanta Braves Andrew Jones (in 2000) received 3.7 million dollars, and the strike out king of Chicago Cubs Kerry Wood (2002) received 3.65 million dollars.

Even if we compare to Park Chan-ho (Texas Rangers) in his fifth year`s salary of 3.85 million dollars in 2000, there is no big difference. If Kim Byung-hyun only plays as a closer, he can get up to 3.85, so it is same as the fifth year`s salary of Park Chan-ho.

Murad explained about the background of the high salary contract saying, “The club compensated his effort to get result steadily despite of many difficulties in the team in last 3 years.”

Sang-Soo Kim ssoo@donga.com