The return of left-handed pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun (34) to the SSG Landers in professional baseball has entered the countdown.



SSG general manager Ryu Seon-gyu said on the 7th, "Through the KBO secretariat, we requested the MLB secretariat to check Kim Kwang-hyun's identity."



Kim Kwang-hyun is currently a free agent (FA) in MLB and can sign with professional clubs in various countries, including the United States, Korea and Japan.



Director Ryu said, "I have nothing to say about specifics at this time."



However, in the light of many cases so far, identification is most likely the final step in the recruitment process.



If SSG club and Kim Kwang-hyun agree on the details of the contract, it is expected that he will officially announce his joining soon.



Kim Kwang-hyun wanted to continue playing in MLB, but it is known that he was weighing a return to the KBO league, regardless of his own will, when the start of this season became uncertain due to the failure of the MLB labor union to agree to a new collective agreement.



Kim Kwang-hyun joined the SK Wyverns, the predecessor of SSG, in 2007 and was an ace who served as the team's mainstay for 13 years until 2019.



He posted a 136-77 career KBO league record and a 3.27 ERA.



He contributed 16 and 17 wins to the team's Korean Series championship in 2008 and 2010 respectively.



After the 2016 season, Kim Kwang-hyun signed a free agent contract with SK for 4 years and 8.5 billion won, and with one year left on his contract, he entered the MLB with the club's permission.



Kim Kwang-hyun, who signed a two-year guarantee of $8 million with the St. Louis Cardinals for a maximum of $11 million, picked up a career in the big leagues, 10-7, 2 saves, and a 2.97 ERA between starting and the bullpen in 2020-2021.



SSG, who took hold of Kim Kwang-hyun, tried to sign a contract with him last winter, but it seems to have changed Kim's heart thanks to the prolonged MLB labor-management dispute after not seeing results.



With Kim Kwang-hyun joining, SSG will build a starting trio with Ivan Nova and Wilmer Font, and emerge as contenders for this season's championship at once.



(Photo = Yonhap News)