11:37am: Baltimore is attempting to finalize a deal with Yoon that would release him from his MLB contract, Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports on Twitter. The deal would allow Yoon to resume his career in Korea.
9:05am: The Orioles appear to be on the way to severing their relationship with Korean hurler Suk-min Yoon, as Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports (Twitter links). Reports had emerged from South Korean media indicating that Yoon was on his way back, following recent indications of strains between player and team.
Yoon had been scheduled to report to minor league camp on Saturday, but it appears he will instead head to Korea. The precise nature of the transaction that could or will take place remains unclear, though it would seem reasonable to expect some kind of buyout negotiation. Baltimore inked the Scott Boras client to a three-year, $5.575MM deal last year, leaving salary obligations among the matters to be addressed.
Yoon never got going last year, ultimately ending his campaign with a 5.74 ERA in 95 2/3 Triple-A innings and 6.3 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9. He dealt with shoulder issues along the way and was ultimately outrighted in mid-season. The O’s decided against inviting him to big league camp this spring, which seemingly precipitated today’s developments.
