Former Little-Used Boston Red Sox Pitcher Heads Overseas to Play in KBO

Former Boston Red Sox left-handed pitcher Kyle Hart is headed overseas to play in the KBO for the 2024 season.

Per Korean Baseball Insider Jee-Ho Yoo:

The NC Dinos announced their signing of former major league pitcher Kyle Hart on Tuesday.

Hart, 31, has agreed to a one-year deal worth up to US$900,000. The left-hander will make $500,000 in salary, as well as a signing bonus of $200,000. He can make another $200,000 in incentives.

Hart pitched collegiately at the University of Indiana and was drafted in the 19th round of the MLB Draft by the Red Sox in 2016.

He appeared in four games, making three starts, during the COVID 2020 season for the Red Sox. He went 0-1 with a 15.55 ERA. He gave up 19 earned runs in 11.0 innings as the Red Sox finished last in the AL East that season at 24-36.

After the 2020 season, Hart spent all of 2021 at Triple-A Worcester. In 2022, he appeared in games for Double-A and Triple-A teams with the Sox before moving onto the Phillies and Mariners organizations in 2023. In 2023, he was 4-6 cumulatively with a 4.53 ERA.

This is a good move for Hart in that it assuredly guarantees him more money and it also likely gives him a more guaranteed path to time on the mound.

If he's able to perform well in the KBO, he could find himself back in the States in 2025. Recently, we've seen Chris Flexen and Erik Fedde come back from Korea after having success.