“Hitting the long ball against Bobby Miller, that was the big thing.”
Why Nez Valero and Mike Nickeys, the men behind “superstar” Shohei Ohtani (LA Dodgers), chose Hye-Sung Kim as their partner.
Kium Heroes’ Kim Hye-sung has officially signed a contract with Ohtani’s agency. Her path to the major leagues has officially begun.
On the 3rd, Kim Hye-sung signed an agent contract with CAA Sports at the Hyatt Hotel Business Center in Hannam-dong, Seoul. Kim was able to attend the ceremony on a non-game day, and was joined by CAA Baseball agent Mike Nickis and CAA Stellar Korea representatives Jang Young Jang and Jung Gun Woo, who organized the meeting between the two sides.
CAA Baseball is known for its agent, Nez Valero, who works with Nickis. Valero is known worldwide as the agent of Los Angeles Dodgers “superstar” Shohei Ohtani. Valero, who has been with Ohtani since he moved from Japan to the United States, negotiated a massive 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers when he became a free agent late last year. He now manages Kim Hye-sung. While Valero was unable to attend the ceremony in person, he said in a video, “It’s a special day to be a part of Hye-Sung’s family. His talent, his work ethic. There is so much potential for growth, and I look forward to meeting her soon.”
“This is the most exciting and nerve-wracking thing I’ve done in a long time,” said Kim, who officially signed the contract. “It’s a very big company that I’ve known for a long time. They have Son Heung-min and Faker. I was attracted to it because it’s a big company,” she said.
CAA is a global brand that is not only responsible for sports but also entertainment. Some of its clients include actors Tom Cruise and Lee Jung-jae, filmmaker Steven Spielberg, and singer Beyonce. Sports stars include superstars like MLB’s 스포츠토토 Clayton Kershaw (LA Dodgers), NBA’s Chris Paul (Golden State Warriors), NFL’s Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers), and PGA’s Rory McIlroy.
“I first saw her at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in Tokyo, Japan, last year,” said Nikis, who attended the signing ceremony on behalf of Valero. Kim lost her starting second base job to Tommy Edmon (St. Louis Cardinals), but in six at-bats, she had an Altoran-like performance against China, going 1-for-3 with a home run, three walks, three RBIs and three runs scored.