Korean professional baseball pitcher Ko Woo-seok (26-LG) is set to join the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). On the 3rd, local media in the United States reported that “Ko Woo-seok’s contract with the Padres is imminent,” and his team LG said, “He recently received a signing offer from an MLB club, and we decided to respect his wishes and send him to that club.” He traveled to the United States on the same day to complete the contract process, including medical tests.
If he ultimately signs the contract, he will become the fourth Korean pitcher to go directly from the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) to the major leagues. Previously, Ryu Hyun-jin (2013-LA Dodgers), Kim Kwang-hyun (2020-St. Louis Cardinals), and Yang Hyun-jong (2021-Texas Rangers) reached the MLB through the posting system and free agency.
After winning the Korean Series with his team LG last year, Go Woo-seok was subjected to a background check by Major League Baseball and expressed his desire to play in the United States. At the time, there were reports of teams interested in him, but there was no word on whether he was close to a deal. Then, a day before the deadline (7 a.m. ET on April 4), news broke that he had reached an agreement with the Padres, and it all went smoothly until the team cleared him to leave the country.
Go made his professional debut with the LG in 2017, amassing 139 career saves through last year. He took over the closer’s role in 2019 and became the youngest player in KBO history to record 30 saves that year (21 years, 1 month, 7 days), and won the league’s saves title in 2022 with 42 saves. A “fireballer” who overwhelms opposing batters with his fastball in the mid-to-high 150 kilometers per hour. However, he struggled in 2023, suffering his most losses (8) and fewest saves (15) since his debut.
The terms of the contract agreed upon by Go and the Padres have not yet been disclosed. LG initially made it clear that it would not “give him away cheaply” while allowing him to post, and the tacit ceiling between him and the club was reportedly around $7 million over two years. However, the Padres reportedly offered 2+1 years, and the total amount was far below the threshold set by LG and Koo. Nevertheless, Koo expressed his willingness to try out for the team, and LG reportedly agreed to allow him to travel to the U.S. as a grand gesture.
The Padres were the first team to bring Kim to the United States in late 2020, and will open the 2024 season with a two-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Seoul on March 20-21. If the deal is finalized, Go Woo-seok and Kim will be the first two Korean major leaguers to play in front of Korean fans. The Dodgers have added two Japanese superstars, Shohei Ohtani (30) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (26), to their roster at the StubHub Classic.
Koo was joined on the field by his friend and brother-in-law, Lee Jung-hoo (26). Ko married Lee’s sister, Lee Ga-hyun, the daughter of former LG coach Lee Jong-beom, last year. Lee signed a massive six-year, $130 million contract with the San Francisco Giants last month. The Padres and Giants are in the National League West together, so the brother-in-law and sister-in-law are likely to face off frequently this season.
The Padres will need to find a replacement for established closer Josh Hader, 30, as he is expected to leave the 토토사이트 team in free agency. Ko and Japanese left-hander Yuki Matsui (29) will compete for the closer’s job. Matsui joined the Padres last month for five years and $28 million after playing for Rakuten in the NPB. Go will need to rebound from a somewhat lackluster showing in the KBO last year and make a strong impression in spring training to get ahead of Matsui.