Hyun Soo Kim and Dan Duquette talk about today's signing

The Orioles created space for outfielder Hyun Soo Kim on their 40-man roster by designating pitcher Edgar Olmos for assignment, and the Cubs claimed the left-hander off waivers.

The Orioles claimed Olmos from the Cubs on Dec. 10, another example of baseball's circle of life.

Kim will wear No. 25 for the Orioles, in case you want to pick up a jersey. He pronounces his first name "Heeyuhn," so hold the hon puns.

"He's excelled in international competition," said executive vice president Dan Duquette. "He utilizes his power. He's got excellent plate discipline and uses the whole field. He waits on the ball and hits it the other way. He's an accomplished hitter with excellent on-base capability. And he's a good competitor. He's played left field for their national team in international competition and he's done well."

The Orioles still remain in the market for a left-handed hitter, whether it's an outfielder, first baseman or designated hitter. And they're still trying to acquire at least one starting pitcher, whether it's via free agency or trade.

Also, there's nothing new to report on negotiations with first baseman Chris Davis.

The club has passed along quotes from Kim, via translator Yeirang Esther Lee, and Duquette.

Kim on being an Oriole: "He is just very happy that he is now a major leaguer and can play for the Baltimore Orioles. And also of course, he is very excited right now, but more importantly, he thinks that it's important to practice for the upcoming season. The Orioles always had a great interest to him. It has been a great team in Major League Baseball, so he is very happy that he can play for the Orioles."

Kim on how his skill set will translate to the majors: "To be honest, he said he doesn't know how it's going to translate to American baseball, but he thinks that it's going to be OK, and also he will try his best to perform as well as he did in Korea."

Kim on how badly he wanted to play in the majors: "He was very eager to come to MLB. He was a big fan since he was very little. And now he thinks that he could cry over here if he wants to, but he will not right now."

Kim on representing South Korea in the majors: "He feels very proud that he can represent South Korea as a baseball player, and as you all know (Jung-ho) Kang for the Pirates, he did really well last season, so he sort of feels burdened as well that he can play as well as Kang. Because Kang did so well in MLB, that's why he thinks that that's one of the reasons he can come over to the major leagues. So he'll do his best and try hard, so we can have more South Korean players in the major leagues next year."

Kim on talking to Kang about his experience: "They talked a lot before and Kang said that he will do very well. He doesn't have any doubt that Hyun will play very well if he comes to America, but he said it's very important to actually play in America and have a lot of experience over here to adapt well and transition better."

Duquette on signing Kim: "The Orioles are happy to announce the signing of Hyun Soo Kim. He's a Korean outfielder that has distinguished himself in Korean baseball as being one of their top hitters over the last nine years. He's also played very well in international competition and most recently was the MVP of the Premier (PAC) 12 Tournament. His addition to our club is one of offensive capabilities. He's got a terrific on-base percentage. In fact, he's had more walks than strikeouts this year. He has distinguished himself as the best hitter from Korea to come to the States, he's got the best average, and we believe he'll be a good hitter here and ready to play the outfield very capably.

"This past year he hit for significant power with 28 home runs and at his age, he's just turning 28, he'll be able to translate that home run production from Korea to the States. He's got a short swing and he uses the whole ballpark. He hits the ball to left field, he hits the ball to left-center field, and he also pulls the ball to right field, which should play very well in our ballpark. We're very happy to have Hyun Soo Kim join the Orioles."

Duquette on what impressed the Orioles most while scouting Kim: "His durability is one of the key positive traits that he has. He's been able to play 98 percent of his games over a 10-year period in Korea. Nicknamed the "Iron Man" in Korea, that of course has some good transferability to the Orioles franchise with Cal Ripken's durability over the years, but in Kim's own light, he's been a very dependable player for his club. He signed when he was young, just out of high school. He distinguished himself as the top high school hitter in Korea and he has distinguished himself every year in Korean baseball by hitting over .300."

Duquette on how Kim's skills will translate in the U.S.: "Our scouts like his ability to play defense in left field. He's played left field in all of his international games, not DH or first base, but left field has been his primary position. He runs fine, he throws fine and he has good instincts. Beyond that, he's a very good teammate. He's well-regarded by the players on his team, and I think he'll fit in good with our ballclub. He's got a nice disposition, he's ready to go to work every day, and he's very serious about his hitting."

Duquette on the appeal of Kim's on-base percentage: "He's had over a .400 on-base percentage a couple of times in Korea and he's led his league, and he's also led the league in batting and won the Gold Glove a couple of times in Korea. All those skills are going to be very helpful in this ballpark, but the best thing that I've seen him do is he hits the ball the other way. He waits on the ball and he hits down on the fastball, and that should translate to a lot of home runs at this ballpark."

Duquette on whether there's a major league player who reminds him of Kim: "I would say go to YouTube and look up all the home runs he hit this year in 2015. There's a terrific way to look at Kim, his ability to hit the ball to all fields and to hit the ball with power."

Note: Left-hander Will Dennis has received a 50-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), a stimulant in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The suspension of Dennis, who is currently on the Orioles' Gulf Coast League Orioles, will be effective at the start of the 2016 GCL season.

Dennis, a 23rd-round pick in 2015, was 4-2 with a 3.66 ERA in 13 relief appearances with the GCL team. He posted a 5.79 ERA in three relief appearances with short-season Single-A Aberdeen.