Former Red Sox lefty Kyle Hart signs with KBO’s NC Dinos

Former Red Sox left-hander Kyle Hart will be taking his talents overseas in 2024 after signing a one-year deal with the NC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization on Tuesday. According to a team release, the contract includes a signing bonus of $200,000, a base salary of $500,000, and up to $200,000 in possible incentives.

Hart, 31, broke in with the Red Sox during the COVID-shortened 2020 season after originally being selected by the club in the 19th round of the 2016 amateur draft out of Indiana. The former Hoosier appeared in just four games — three of which were starts — but struggled mightily, allowing 21 runs (19 earned) on 10 walks and 13 strikeouts over 11 innings of work. Opposing hitters batted .429 against him and he ended the year on the injured list with a left hip impingement.

Boston removed Hart from its 40-man roster that November and subsequently outrighted him to the minor-leagues after he cleared waivers. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound lefty served as organizational depth for the next two seasons, spending all of 2021 with Triple-A Worcester and splitting 2022 between Worcester and Double-A Portland, before reaching minor-league free agency last fall.

Before the start of spring training this year, Hart inked a minors pact with the Phillies, reuniting him — to some degree — with former Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowksi. Hart, however, appeared in just one game for Philadelphia’s Triple-A affiliate in April and was released by the club shortly thereafter. He latched on with the Mariners in June and spent the rest of the 2023 campaign with Triple-A Tacoma, pitching to a 4.58 ERA with 85 strikeouts to 35 walks in 18 starts (88 1/3 innings) for the Rainiers.

It is unclear if other affiliated clubs had interest in bringing in Hart on a minor-league contract this winter, but the Ohio native has nonetheless elected to go abroad to South Korea. With the Dinos, who are based in Changwon, Hart will join fellow southpaw and recent signee Daniel Castano as the club’s two foreign-born pitchers to open the 2024 season.