updated 10:34 p.m. ET March 30, 2005

FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Boston Red Sox traded reliever Byung-Hyun Kim to the Colorado Rockies, calling the $10 million, two-year deal they gave him in 2004 “a mistake.”

Kim was sent Wednesday to the Rockies for left-handed pitcher Chris Narveson, 23, who was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket, and catcher Charles Johnson, who was immediately designated for assignment and released.

As part of the trade, Colorado sent Boston about $2.6 million to equalize the salaries. Johnson is owed $9 million and Kim $6 million, part of a $10 million, two-year deal he signed before the 2004 season.

“We certainly made a mistake and I take responsibility for that,” Epstein said. “It’s just a mystery what happened to this guy.”

Kim, a 26-year-old sidearmer, was a major factor in Boston reaching the 2003 playoffs, but Epstein said Wednesday he should have let Kim get a one-year contract through arbitration rather than sign him to a two-year deal.

“I’m not so sure (success) would have happened to him in Boston,” he said. “He was crying for a change of scenery.”

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Epstein said Kim, when informed of the trade, apologized for not doing better.

Kim will likely have a chance to take over as a closer in Colorado’s hurting bullpen. The favorite to close this season, Chin-hui Tsao, has rotator cuff tendinitis and has not impressed manager Clint Hurdle this spring training. Left-hander Brian Fuentes, who was also in the mix, also has struggled.

Last year’s closer, Shawn Chacon, moved back to the starting rotation this season after blowing nine saves and anchoring a bullpen that set a major-league record with 39 losses.

Hurdle knows what he’s getting with Kim, whose fastball, once clocked in the 93-95 mph range, never got over 86 mph this spring.

“He is what he is right now. You’re never going to get a B.K. Kim when he’s good,” Hurdle said. “He’s pitched big games. He’s pitched big outs. He’s on the downside now. His arm strength is increasing somewhat from the reports I’ve gotten. So that’d be the guy you’d want.”

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