Kim on the road to Rockies

Tampa Bay Devil Rays. None of this maneuvering would have been necessary if Kim had been the pitcher Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein envisioned when he signed him to a two-year, $10 million deal following the 2003 season, when Kim, newly arrived from the Arizona Diamondbacks in a trade for infielder Shea Hillenbrand, helped pitch the Sox into the American League Championship Series.

"This is a disappointing end to the saga," Epstein said last night. "It remains to this day a mystery for us."

But as well as he pitched in 2003 for the Sox, serving as closer for much of the stretch drive, there were warning signs. Kim pitched poorly in the AL Division Series against Oakland, then made a vulgar gesture toward the fans during introductions before one playoff game. He was left off the team's roster for the ALCS in the aftermath of that incident and after complaining of shoulder discomfort.

Kim began last season on the disabled list with what was described as a right shoulder strain, and never came close to throwing with the same velocity he had in earlier seasons, particularly in 2001 and '02, when he was one of the premier closers in the National League for the Diamondbacks. He made three starts for the Sox in April 2004, pitched poorly, then was optioned to Pawtucket for the rest of the season until a September call-up.

"What we've seen the last 12 or 13 months is clearly not the same pitcher who was a dominant guy for many years," Epstein said. "We tried everything in our power to unravel this mystery and solve it."

The Sox could find nothing wrong medically with Kim. They even took the unusual step of sending him back to Korea to be examined there, where he was found to have a "lack of chi" (an imbalance), according to Epstein. "We tried everything," Epstein said.