KOR
▲ Go Woo-suk during his time with the Minnesota Twins (left)
Pitcher Go Woo-suk, who was designated for assignment by the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB) and subsequently assigned to the minor leagues, is increasingly likely to return to his former team, the LG Twins.
The St. Paul Saints, the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, announced on September 1 (Korea Time) that Go Woo-suk has become a free agent.
Having previously gone unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment, Go's decision to choose free agency is presumed to be a determination reflecting his intention to leave the U.S. stage and play in another league.
Go has previously stated that if he were to conclude his big league challenge, returning to his former team LG would be his top priority.
Consequently, the possibility of his return to the Twin squad has grown significantly.
If Go returns to the KBO League, it is expected to provide a major boost to LG.
LG has recently been struggling as key pitchers, including Song Seung-gi and Kim Jin-sung, have been sidelined by successive injuries.
However, under KBO regulations requiring player registration to be completed by August 15 every year in order to participate in the postseason (PS), Go will not be able to join this autumn's postseason run.
In November 2023, with permission from his then-team LG, Go pursued an advance into U.S. professional baseball through the posting system, signing a 1+1 year contract with the San Diego Padres worth up to $9.4 million.
However, in March 2024, Go failed to make the opening series roster for the MLB regular season games against the Los Angeles Dodgers held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul.
This was affected by his lackluster performance in an exhibition game against his former team LG ahead of the opening series, where he allowed 2 runs in 1 inning, including a home run to younger teammate Lee Jae-won.
Starting his first season in the minor leagues, Go was traded to the Miami Marlins just two months after the season opened, and was designated for assignment in less than a month following the trade.
He signed a minor league contract with Miami in hopes of a rebound, but continued to struggle, even being demoted down to Double-A.
In June of last year, after being released by Miami's minor league affiliate, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, he signed a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers.
Although Go was released by Detroit that November, he re-signed a minor league contract with Detroit in January of this year to await an opportunity, and politely declined an offer in May of this year from LG General Manager Cha Myung-seok, who traveled personally to the U.S. to urge his return.
Then, last month, through a cash trade, he joined the Minnesota Twins, who were suffering from bullpen issues, and finally made his long-awaited big league debut on July 10 in a home game against the Cleveland Guardians.
Go was sent down to the minor leagues after recording an ERA of 9.00 with 1 hold in 4 big league games, and on July 25 during a Triple-A game, he went through the ordeal of being ejected for violating regulations against using foreign substances.
Following an appeal, Go managed to reduce his 10-game suspension to 8 games, but is known to have suffered considerable emotional distress in the process.
On August 29, Go received notification of assignment waivers from Minnesota, and as he went unclaimed by other teams and his status was transferred to the minor leagues, he ultimately chose free agency.
Go has appeared in 4 career big league games, and across 3 minor league seasons recorded 111 games, 11 wins, 6 losses, 10 holds, 10 saves, and a 5.02 ERA.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
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