FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) – Byung-Hyun Kim figures he’ll get along better with his teammates once his pitching improves. And he feels that’s happening as he fights for the final spot in Boston’s bullpen.

He pitched one inning Sunday in his fourth outing of spring training and said it was his best, even though he allowed one run on two hits in the Red Sox 8-7 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“When I was pitching well, everyone was happy, everything was good,” Kim said through translator Chang-Ho Lee, Boston’s assistant trainer. “But when I’m not pitching good, I don’t have the relationship with other players to be able to speak and joke around. That’s like a wall I have to overcome.”

Kim came to the United States to play baseball in 1999 and doesn’t speak English well. He rarely interacts with teammates but hopes that will change as he gets more comfortable with his pitching.

“There’s still a lot of improvement that needs to be made,” Kim said, “but compared with last year, compared with the last outing, it’s just getting better and better.”

Kim and Anastacio Martinez are competing for the final spot on the opening day pitching staff. That could be a short stay since Curt Schilling and Wade Miller are expected to start the season on the disabled list but be activated in the first month.

Kim missed time with the flu this exhibition season and has allowed four earned runs in 6 2-3 innings.

He has heard rumors that Boston might trade him to unload his $6 million salary, or part of it, for this season, his last of a two-year contract.

“I heard many stories about the trades this offseason but it’s nothing I can control,” he said, “but I know the general manager and manager and all the teammates still trust in me to help out the team.”

In the 2001 World Series as Arizona’s closer, he blew two ninth-inning saves at Yankee Stadium. But he made the All-Star team with Arizona in 2002, then was traded to Boston early in the 2003 season.

He went 6-4 with 16 saves and a 2.28 ERA in 42 outings after being named Boston’s closer July 1 and did not allow an earned run in his final 13 regular season appearances. But he lost the job in the playoffs after allowing the tying run to reach base in the ninth inning of Boston’s loss in the first-round opener against Oakland.

Then, during player introductions for Game 3 of the AL division series in 2003 at Fenway Park, he was booed and made an obscene gesture at the crowd. He later apologized.

Last season he was just 2-1 with a 6.73 ERA for Boston and was at Triple-A Pawtucket from May 11 to Sept. 21. He said Sunday a new exercise program he used in Japan before the season set him back.

“I regret last year. I wasn’t able to help out the team,” Kim said. “Even though we won the World Series, I wanted to help out the team.”

Manager Terry Francona thinks Kim can do that this year, especially when he’s facing right-handers who are more susceptible to his sidearm delivery.

“We have the ability to match him up (against righties). He’ll be OK,” Francona said. “He can be a situational right-hander.”

Kim said he doesn’t care what role he has. He’s just concerned with getting his fastball back over 90 mph and improving his pitching mechanics.

“Last year I had a tough year,” he said. “This year I’m coming in with no pride, just come in as another player to help out the team.”

AP-ES-03-27-05 2010EST