U.S. Media: Go Woo-suk Traded to Minnesota, Nearing MLB Debut

Reports indicate that right-handed pitcher Go Woo-suk (28) has moved to the Minnesota Twins, bringing him one step closer to his dream of debuting in Major League Baseball (MLB).

MLB Trade Rumors, a media outlet specializing in player transactions, reported today (July 6) that "the Minnesota Twins have acquired Go Woo-suk from the Detroit Tigers in a cash trade."

Dan Hayes, a reporter for The Athletic, explained, "Go was not on Detroit's 40-man roster, but per the terms of his contract, Minnesota must add him to their major league roster."

With this move, Go is expected to step onto a major league mound approximately 2 years and 8 months after announcing his challenge to the big leagues via the posting system in November 2023.

Go signed a minor league contract with Detroit in December of last year, but spent most of this season in Triple-A without receiving an invitation to spring training.

However, he has shown his best performance since moving to the U.S., recording 3 wins, 1 loss, 3 holds, and 2 saves with a 2.60 ERA over 27.2 innings in 19 Triple-A games.

In particular, he proved his strong pitching ability by not allowing a single home run in Triple-A this season.

MLB Trade Rumors assessed that "while Go's .239 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) suggests some good fortune, he has generally earned his promotion to the major leagues."

Go, who was the top closer in the KBO League during his time with the LG Twins, first entered the U.S. stage by signing a two-year, $4.5 million guaranteed contract with the San Diego Padres.

However, he was sent down to the minor leagues ahead of the 2024 season opener and has since bounced around the minor leagues, including stints with the Miami Marlins and the Detroit Tigers.

If Go is added to the big league roster and takes the mound, he will become the 30th Korean big leaguer since Park Chan-ho in 1994.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.