Showalter ‘didn’t really like’ rushed goodbye to Kim

Keeping bullpen in order a boost for club

ARLINGTON, TEXAS — Orioles manager said it was a difficult goodbye late Friday night when he informed outfielder of his trade to the Philadelphia Phillies as part of the Orioles’ deal to acquire right-hander

News came from back in Baltimore when Kim had already made his way to the team bus back to the hotel, and the hectic nature of a postgame trade made for a fractured process unlike how Showalter typically informs a player who is on the move.

“It was, and I didn’t really like the way it happened,” Showalter said. “I’d have liked to spend a lot of time with him, but by the time I got word of it, I had to pull him off the bus, which I didn’t like. I spent some time with him. He’s going to a place where he’ll get a chance to play and re-establish himself a little bit at the level he’s capable of.

“It’s tough. You go through, you remember where we were last spring when he first came into this country and I think he had some really nice things to say, and I to him. He’s a good teammate. I wish we could have presented it in a way for him to say goodbye to his teammates. I think he would have liked to. I know they would have liked to.”

Kim was batting .232 with a .593 OPS in a limited role this year, a season after batting .302 with an .801 OPS after a slow start in his first year with the club in 2016.

He was a popular figure in the Orioles clubhouse, as his teammates admired how he handled his transition from South Korea and the difficulties of professional baseball.

“Hate to see Kimmy go, but I think he will fit in nicely over there,” first baseman said. “I hope he gets a chance to play every day. It’s got to be tough coming from another country and not speaking much English, to try to overcome all the adjustments that you have to make at the big league level anyway. He really impressed me with just the way that he was able to put together a professional at-bat. The other day, he came in the game and didn’t have an at-bat in a few weeks and I was just floored when he hit the ball down the left-field line — not at the result, but the way the at-bat was going and the way he just hung in there.” Bullpen in order: Even without much improvement from the starting rotation, the Orioles bullpen has been intact with the same seven pitchers since

return on July 5. Showalter said that’s a testament to the versatility of those who are there, with

and able to give the team length, removing the need for roster moves.

“I told you about a month or so ago that we finally got the bullpen in order, the thing we’ve been trying to do all year,” Showalter said. “We can withstand two or even three bad starts. You don’t want to — you want to fix that — but with Richard and Castro down there, and getting Zach back, we can withstand things because we’ve got people who are capable of pitching multiple innings, and more importantly, multiple hitters.

“Not just right-left, right-left. Donnie has shown he can get right-handed hitters out, too. Richard has done that, and Castro’s starting to show he can do that. We’ve got a lot more versatility down there — something we’ve been trying to do for a while.” Around the horn: Neither (shoulder) nor

(elbow/shoulder) had hits in the continuation of Thursday’s game for Double-A Bowie, which was each player’s first rehabilitation appearance. Santander had two doubles before the game was suspended Thursday, while Flaherty had one. Bowie had a doubleheader Saturday . ... Bowie left-hander was placed on the seven-day disabled list Saturday. … Showalter weighed in on the Orioles parting with 2015 third-round draft pick

in the Hellickson trade. “Cleavinger is a good pitcher. It’s tough to see him go, but that’s the price you pay,” Showalter said.