Tucson – With more pounds on his body, Byung-Hyun Kim believes he will have less weight on his mind.
The Rockies pitcher arrived in camp at 188 pounds, up 10 from a year ago, and noticeably stronger in his shoulders and upper body. At 5-feet-9, Kim was baseball’s shortest right-handed starter last season. The extra bulk might help ease the grind of a potential 32 starts, but that wasn’t the goal of his offseason training.
“If I feel more comfortable with my body, it helps me (mentally),” Kim explained.
A year ago, in his first full season as a starter, Kim went 5-5 with a 4.89 ERA in the first half, but that ERA ballooned to 6.20 after the all-star break. Learning from that experience, Kim worked out in his native South Korea for two months during the offseason.
He spent the rest of the offseason training with former Rockies teammate Sun-Woo Kim in Los Angeles. Sun-Woo Kim, who turned down a lucrative offer to play professionally in South Korea, is competing for the San Francisco Giants’ fifth starter’s job.
“He’s in the mix. He will get his shot,” Giants general manager Brian Sabean said Tuesday.
Byung-Hyun Kim is a favorite to make the Rockies’ rotation – if he’s not traded to address other needs. Rockies pitching coach Bob Apodaca wants Kim to become more effective against left-handers, who hit .325 against him last season. Kim identified pitching inside as the key to having more success against lefties, along with relying more on his sinker and changeup.
Resting Helton
The discussion of whether to give first baseman Todd Helton an occasional breather during the long season has become an annual rite of spring. This year, with outfielder Jeff Baker learning the ropes, the Rockies might actually give Helton, 33, a few days off.
“Todd and I will have that conversation sometime here in the near future and we’ll see where it takes us,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “But I don’t want to ever restrict a man who has played with injuries and who has played through some tough things because of his strong desire to play.”
Helton said he wants to play as often as he is able.
“He’s the manager, so I’ll do whatever he says,” Helton said. “But I’ve never welcomed not playing.”
Footnotes
Agent Scott Boras dropped by Rockies camp Tuesday to visit with clients Matt Holliday, Willy Taveras and Rodrigo Lopez. The team has not had any discussions with Boras about a long-term deal for Holliday. … As part of his new deal with Reebok, Jamey Carroll received a new outfield glove, which he figures to use during a handful of spring games.
Staff writer Patrick Saunders can be reached at 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com.
