Can LG pitcher Ko Woo-seok (25) follow in the footsteps of his ‘brother-in-law’ Lee Jung-hoo (25-San Francisco Giants), who won a jackpot of over $100 million?
CBS Sports recently published an article analyzing the market for international free agents looking to break into the major leagues.
One of the biggest names was Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 25, who is being pursued by the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, and other big clubs. According to CBS Sports, “Yamamoto is the most desirable player available this offseason. The former Orix Buffaloes ace has yet to pitch a major league game, but at just 25 years old, he has the talent to be in a big league rotation. He is currently in talks with multiple big-market teams and is expected to sign a contract worth at least $300 million.”
Yamamoto is a top-notch right-hander with a career record of 70-29 with a 1.82 ERA in 172 games in Nippon Professional Baseball. He became the first pitcher in NPB history to win five pitching titles in consecutive years (2021 and 2022) and won the Sawamura Award, Japan’s Cy Young Award, for three consecutive years. This season, 안전놀이터 he continued his dominance with the NPB Oryx, going 16-6 with a 1.21 ERA in 23 games, and announced his move to the big leagues through the posting system.
Ko was named to the B group behind Yamamoto.
Although he wasn’t prioritized, he was recognized as a pitcher who could compete in the big leagues with the best pitchers in Nippon Professional Baseball, a level above the KBO. It’s encouraging that he continues to receive attention from multiple U.S. media outlets.
“Yamamoto isn’t the only big name on the international free agent market. Japanese left-hander Shota Imanaga, Cuban right-hander Yariel Rodriguez, Japanese left-hander Yuki Matsui and South Korean reliever Woo-seok Ko are all trying to make it to the big leagues. They may not be as highly regarded, but they have the skills to help major league clubs.”
The LG Twins’ first-round pick in the 2017 First-Year Player Draft, Go Woo-seok has seven seasons of overseas eligibility remaining on the posting system, ending in 2023, and has informed the organization of his intention to pursue his longtime dream of playing in the major leagues.
After confirming his intention to go overseas, the team accepted his bid to play Major League Baseball on November 21.
LG President Cha Myung-seok said, “I told him to give it a try. “In the past, Kim Jae-hwan (Doosan) also tried, but gave up because he couldn’t get the conditions he wanted. It could happen again this time, so I told him to give it a try and if the player is satisfied with the amount, let’s talk to the club at that time.”
Go has been LG’s closer since 2019. In seven seasons, he has a record of 19-26, 139 saves and six shutouts in 354 games with a 3.18 ERA, and last year he won the league’s best closer title for the first time with a 1.48 ERA and 42 saves.
This year, he was limited to a 3-8 record, 15 saves and a 3.68 ERA in 44 games due to lingering injuries, including a neck and shoulder injury suffered at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March. He struggled in the Korean Series, going 1-1 with an 8.31 ERA in four games, but won his first championship ring as he helped the team win its first title in 29 years after 1994.
Currently, the St. Louis Cardinals, a team in the National League Central division where Oh Seung-hwan and Kim Kwang-hyun once played, have been consistently linked to Ko.
The Cardinals, who are in desperate need of bullpen reinforcements, reportedly met with Go Woo-seok and Yuki Matsui’s agents last week to discuss a deal. “St. Louis is likely to add two bullpen arms,” local media reported.
Meanwhile, Ko Woo-seok’s brother-in-law, Lee Jung-hoo, fulfilled his dream of playing in the major leagues by signing a six-year, $113 million (about 14.84 billion won) contract with the San Francisco Giants on Nov. 13. 토토사이트 It will be interesting to see if he can follow in his brother-in-law’s footsteps and put the finishing touches on the family’s great challenge.
The contract deadline for Ko, who has been negotiating freely with all 30 major league teams since 8 a.m. ET on Jan. 5, is Jan. 3, 2024, at 5 p.m. ET.
