By Jim Callis
May 29, 2003

In a rare deal that was solely about swapping talent for talent, the Diamondbacks and Red Sox traded 2002 all-stars on Thursday. Boston got Byung-Hyun Kim to plug holes in its leaky pitching staff, while Arizona upgraded its third-base situation with Shea Hillenbrand.

Kim, a 24-year-old righthander, is best known for giving up two game-winning homers in the 2001 World Series. But that obscures the fact that for four years he was one of the most untouchable relievers in the game. Kim went 20-17, 3.21 in 236 games from 1999-2002, striking out 347 in 280 innings and limiting opponents to a .194 average. He may be the hardest-throwing submariner in baseball history, capable of reaching 93 mph from down under. His slider gives him a second nasty pitch, and he's resilient enough to pitch five times per week if needed.

Kim has wanted to move into the rotation, and this year Arizona granted his wish. Kim went just 1-5 in his seven starts with the Diamondbacks, but that record belies his effectiveness. He had a 3.56 ERA, a 33-15 strikeout-walk ratio in 43 innings and held hitters to a .214 average. He missed three weeks with a contusion on his right ankle but is fully healthy now. Overall, his career mark now stands at 21-22, 3.26. The initial plan in Boston is for him to move into the rotation in place of injured ace Pedro Martinez. Once Martinez returns, Kim likely will move to a relief role. He's exactly the type of quality arm that the Red Sox need to implement their widely discussed bullpen strategy, which centers around using their best reliever in the most important game situations, not just the ninth inning.

Hillenbrand, 27, started for the American League in the All-Star Game in 2002, when he batted .293-18-83. He's off to a similar start this year, hitting .303-3-38 through 49 games, exhibiting the same strengths and weaknesses he has in the past. Hillenbrand hits for average, but his power is only fair for a third baseman and he rarely walks. Defensively, he has a strong arm and good reactions, though he tied for the AL lead with 23 errors at third base last year and was fielding .944 at the hot corner in 2003. In 344 big league games, he has batted .284-33-170 with a .317 on-base percentage and .432 slugging percentage. He'll take over at third base for the Diamondbacks and could move to first base, where he saw time in Boston, against lefthanders.

With free-agent signee Bill Mueller enjoying a fine season and the Red Sox' collection of first-base possibilities, Boston had the depth to trade Hillenbrand. Likewise, with the emergence of young pitchers such as Andrew Good, John Patterson, Oscar Villareal and Brandon Webb, Arizona felt it had the surplus of arms to give up Kim. From a financial standpoint, the Diamondbacks will save roughly $2 million, the prorated difference between the salaries for Kim ($3.25 million) and Hillenbrand ($407,500). Both players will be eligible for arbitration this winter, with Kim again expected to command more money because he has an additional year of service time.

The last time the Red Sox gave up a third baseman for a reliever, they paid dearly as Jeff Bagwell became a terribly rich price to pay for Larry Andersen. This deal won't make Boston forget Bagwell, but it should pay off for the Red Sox. One side effect was that Hillenbrand's departure led to the promotion of infielder Freddy Sanchez, who ranked second in the Triple-A International League in hitting (.384) and first in on-base percentage (.476).