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San Diego Padres sign pitcher Kyle Hart after award-winning year in South Korea

Former Red Sox pitcher Kyle Hart delivering a pitch against the Atlanta Braves (2020)
Former Red Sox pitcher Kyle Hart delivering a pitch against the Atlanta Braves (2020)Maddie Meyer/Getty Images/AFP
The San Diego Padres signed left-handed pitcher Kyle Hart to a one-year deal on Thursday that includes a club option for 2026.

Hart dominated in South Korea last year for the NC Dinos and ended up with the Choi Dong-won Award - the KBO equivalent of the MLB's Cy Young award - after leading the league with 182 strikeouts, 

Hart went 13-3 with a 2.69 ERA across 26 starts while giving up just 38 walks in 157 innings. 

The 32-year-old veteran was a journeyman minor league pitcher for seven years and only saw a few games in the major leagues with the Boston Red Sox in 2020 - the COVID year. 

Now, he's getting another shot at the big times with a Padres' team constantly being in the spotlight regarding trade rumors regarding starting pitchers Dylan Cease and Michael King

Hart will be a nice lefty piece to the back of the Padres rotation this upcoming season if his success from South Korea translates over.