The Korea Baseball Organization’s Doosan Bears announced that they’ve signed left-hander Cole Irvin to a one-year deal that’ll guarantee him $1MM, coming in the form of an $800K salary and $200K signing bonus (link via Jee-ho Yoo of South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency).
It’ll be the first stint overseas for Irvin, who’s pitched in the majors with the Phillies, A’s, Orioles and Twins over the past six seasons. The now 30-year-old southpaw (31 in January) was a quality innings eater for the 2021-22 A’s, starting 62 games and pitching to a 4.11 ERA. Irvin’s 90.7 mph average fastball and 16.8% strikeout rate were both well below average, but he also demonstrated pinpoint command, limiting opponents to a 5.2% walk rate.
The Orioles acquired Irvin from the A’s in exchange for Darell Hernaiz heading into the 2023 season, hoping to solidify the back of their rotation. It didn’t pan out. Irvin was hit hard early and surprisingly optioned to Triple-A just weeks into the season. He returned later in the year and rebounded to finish with a 4.42 ERA in 77 1/3 frames, spending more time in the bullpen than in the rotation.
The 2024 season didn’t work out much better; Irvin was tagged for a 4.86 ERA in 16 starts and nine relief appearances before being designated for assignment and heading to the Twins via waivers. He allowed five runs in 3 2/3 frames with Minnesota, finishing out the season with a 5.11 ERA. The Twins outrighted him at the end of September, and he elected free agency in early October.
In all, Irvin heads to the KBO with a career 4.54 ERA, 17.1% strikeout rate and 5.6% walk rate in 593 big league innings. The Bears’ press release announcing his signing specifically touted the southpaw’s “great control,” which has indeed been Irvin’s greatest strength in the big leagues thus far.
Whenever a pitcher heads overseas on a one-year deal, it’s possible that some tweaks (new pitch, altered mechanics or pitch usage rates) yield big results and pique the interest of MLB clubs the following winter. But, it’s just as possible that Irvin will pitch his way into more lucrative opportunities in Asia. The $1MM salary he’s receiving this year is the maximum for first-year foreign signees in the KBO, but he could earn a raise next season or perhaps garner interest from a team in Japan, where players typically have greater earning power than in Korea.
Interesting decision, but unlikely to do an Erick Fedde.
I thought Cole Irvin was the most promising of the A’s prospects a few years back, he pitched some good games for the A’s, the A’s were awful that season, but a Cole Irvin start was a shot at a win. I was surprised that they traded him to the Orioles, in the end A’s had a plethora of SP prospects and Irvin was a little longer in the tooth and a little light on velo, but he is a good pitcher, this guy can still get it done in MLB in the right role.
The right call for Cole.
It sure is easier to miss bats in Korea. Why not?
Perhaps Doosan will now try to trade for Trevor Rogers mid-way through this year?
Why? he might as well retire at this point…he’s terrible.
“Would you like one million dollars to pitch for us?”
“No, the comment section at MLBTR wants me to retire.”
“But we’re giving you one million dollars.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, man. I’m hanging it up.”
Just giving my opinion, that’s the whole point of the comment section.
Not the whole point. It is also used to answer questions from readers by the authors and other readers. You asked the question “Why?” and he just answered you..
Guy has been around the league a bit too long for someone who misses bats at about 17% of the time. Cooked!
womp womp
So, when he comes back to the states which team foolishly pays him?
Least he won’t be coming back to the Orioles!
His time in Minnesota really set the tone for KBO
For one million and with a chance to reset his career, he has nothing to lose.
His average fastball velocity would be closer to the league average fastball velocity of the KBO so he might see an uptick in strikeouts, but he’s going to have to use more of his secondaries to get success. His type (crafty lefty with plus control and a good changeup) tends to do quite well in the KBO (Eric Jokisch is an example).
A stint in the KBO might be a nice chance to reset for Irvin. Have a good season and either stay longer, or try to return to MLB. A bad season and the leash is pretty short there so it might his last stand all the way around
DAAAAA BEARS
Pinpoint control… anyone who has watched Irvin pitch since leaving Oakland should be well aware he does not have that anymore. His SO/W was a career low this year and frankly it was trending down last year too, compared to the rest of his career. Every time I turned on the TV he was walking guys this year. Though, he was Baltimore’s most consistent starter not named Burnes for about a month.
I have always liked Irvin, but I am also a much bigger fan of control than velocity. I think one of the worst thing to ever happen to pitching was the installation of public radar guns in stadiums.. Just think about it, if you have two main skills to your job and one is numerically graded in front of a large group of people every time you do it, which one of those two skills are you going to work on more?
I am really surprised that a “player like that” has to go to the KBO.
Yes, I am THAT petty