SENDAI (Kyodo) The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles said on Tuesday they have acquired the services of former Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Kim Byung Hyun on a one-year contract worth ¥33 million.
The 32-year-old South Korean submarine hurler will be a prospect to fill the closer's role as one of the new foreign players joining newly appointed manager Senichi Hoshino's roster.
"I know that the team has high expectations of me, so I want to respond accordingly," Kim said in a club statement.
Kim, who also had stints with the Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies, has a 54-60 record with 86 saves and a 4.42 ERA over nine seasons in the major leagues.
In 2010, he played for the Orange County Flyers of the Golden Baseball League.