Korea Baseball Organization

Cardinals Sign Aaron Brooks To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | January 31, 2022 at 1:41pm CDT

The Cardinals announced Monday that they’ve signed righty Aaron Brooks to a minor league deal. The Paragon Sports International client received a non-roster invitation to Major League Spring Training. He was eligible to sign a minor league during the lockout by virtue of the fact that he was a minor league free agent returning from a stint overseas.

Brooks, 31, is a veteran of four big league seasons but has spent the 2020-21 seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization, where he’s notched a tidy 2.79 ERA in 229 1/3 innings for the Kia Tigers. While Brooks hasn’t missed many bats pitching overseas — he posted a rather pedestrian 20.1% strikeout rate — he’s demonstrated excellent command and posted practically inhuman ground-ball rates. Brooks has walked just 4.4% of his opponents in the KBO, and it’s hard to think of a much better team to take advantage of his outrageous 78.4% ground-ball rate than the defensively stout Cardinals.

This past season, St. Louis had a staggering five Gold Glove winners, including three in the infield: first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, second baseman Tommy Edman and third baseman Nolan Arenado. Shortstop Paul DeJong had a rough season offensively that cost him some reps in the infield as the Cards looked to get more offense into the lineup, but DeJong is regarded as a standout defender himself — evidenced by last year’s plus-6 Defensive Runs Saved and a career plus-36 mark in 4366 innings at the position.

Royals, A’s and Orioles fans may remember Brooks for his big league work across those three franchises. A ninth-round pick by Kansas City back in 2011, he made his MLB debut with K.C. in 2014-15 but was traded to the A’s alongside Sean Manaea in the swap that brought Ben Zobrist to the 2015 World Series champion Royals.

The A’s wound up trading Brooks to the Cubs in exchange for Chris Coghlan back in 2016, setting off a sequence of scenery changes for Brooks over the next several years. He went from Chicago to Milwaukee via waivers, and the Brewers traded him back to Oakland in exchange for cash. Brooks’ second stint with the A’s lasted about a half season, as the Orioles claimed him on waivers the following summer and, after the 2019 campaign, released him to allow him to pursue his KBO opportunity.

While making the rounds on the trade/waiver circuit, Brooks appeared in 47 big league games and tallied 170 2/3 frames with an uninspiring 6.49 ERA. He was never much of a ground-ball pitcher during his prior stints in the big leagues, so it seems he’s done some work to reinvent his approach on the mound while pitching in South Korea. If he’s able to replicate that KBO success in Triple-A, it’s likely the Cardinals will find a way to get him onto the big league roster in 2022.

The Cards already have a full rotation, but adding some depth along these lines was a clear need. Jack Flaherty, Adam Wainwright, Dakota Hudson, Miles Mikolas and offseason signee Steven Matz are set to occupy the top five spots in the St. Louis rotation, but a lack of starting depth nearly sunk the 2021 Cards when they saw their entire rotation outside of Wainwright hit the IL by June. Brooks joins in-house options like Jake Woodford, Johan Oviedo, T.J. Zeuch and Angel Rondon on the depth chart, and the Cards are surely also hopeful that prospects Matthew Liberatore and Zack Thompson can reach the Majors in 2022.

Recapping The KBO League’s International Player Signings

By Mark Polishuk | January 9, 2022 at 5:16pm CDT

With the lockout slowing MLB-related transactions to a crawl of minor league deals, transactions involving Korean Baseball Organization teams have taken more of a spotlight on MLBTR’s pages since the start of December. These moves have included the signings of several names familiar to North American baseball fans, as the KBO League’s clubs have looked to address their allocated three roster spots for non-Korean players. International-born players can only sign contracts worth a maximum of $1MM in total salary, and players new to the KBO League can sign only one-year pacts.

Though the Doosan Bears have one signing that still isn’t yet official, the other 29 slots have been filled. It is still possible this list could be adjusted in the coming weeks due to a number of factors — injuries, players returning to North America (for personal reasons or a deal with an MLB team), issues related to the pandemic, or teams just changing their minds after seeing the players in training camp. Here is the rundown of this winter’s international signings for the 10 KBO League franchises….

Doosan Bears
Jose Miguel Fernandez (deal not yet finalized), Ariel Miranda, Robert Stock

NC Dinos
Nick Martini, Wes Parsons, Drew Rucinski

Hanwha Eagles
Ryan Carpenter, Nick Kingham, Mike Tauchman

Lotte Giants
Charlie Barnes, DJ Peters, Glenn Sparkman

Kiwoom Heroes
Tyler Eppler, Eric Jokisch, Yasiel Puig

SSG Landers
Kevin Cron, Wilmer Font, Ivan Nova

Samsung Lions
David Buchanan, Jose Pirela, Albert Suarez

Kia Tigers
Socrates Brito, Sean Nolin, Ronnie Williams

LG Twins
Casey Kelly, Adam Plutko, Rio Ruiz

KT Wiz
William Cuevas, Odrisamer Despaigne, Henry Ramos

KBO’s Doosan Bears Close To Re-Signing Jose Miguel Fernandez

By Darragh McDonald | January 9, 2022 at 9:16am CDT

The Doosan Bears of the Korea Baseball Organization are close to re-signing Jose Miguel Fernandez, reports Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News. This would be the fourth season with the Bears for Fernandez, who turns 34 in April.

Fernandez was a high-profile signing of the Dodgers in 2017, after defecting from his native Cuba in 2015. In 2017, he played 90 games in Double-A and three in Triple-A, producing an overall slash line of .306/.367/.496. Despite that solid production, the Dodgers released him at the end of the year. He was signed by the Angels and spent most of 2018 in Triple-A, hitting an excellent .333/.396/.535. That was enough to get him selected to the big league club, playing 36 games and hitting .267/.309/.388. That small sample is the only MLB experience on his resume, as he signed with the Bears after that season.

Fernandez has had three straight excellent campaigns for the Bears, with at least 141 games played and 15 home runs in each of them. His overall line from 2019 to 2021 is .334/.403/.476, walking more than he struck out in that time, 184 to 131. Now it appears he will be suiting up for the Bears for a fourth straight season in 2022, his age-34 campaign.

As noted by Yoo, each KBO team except for the Bears has filled their three slots for foreign players. The Bears have used two so far, on Ariel Miranda and Robert Stock. If the signing of Fernandez is completed, that would mean all the league’s roster spots for non-Korean players are spoken for.

KBO’s Kia Tigers Sign Sean Nolin

By Mark Polishuk | January 8, 2022 at 7:02pm CDT

The KBO League’s Kia Tigers have signed left-hander Sean Nolin to a one-year contract. As per Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News, Nolin will earn $600K in guaranteed money ($250K signing bonus, $350K salary) and up to $300K more in incentives.

Nolin had re-signed with the Nationals on a minor league contract back in November, but it appears as though the club released him so Nolin could pursue the opportunity in the Korea Baseball Organization. This isn’t Nolin’s first time playing abroad, as he previously pitched in Japan with the Seibu Lions in 2020, tossing 21 1/3 innings with the NPB club.

The southpaw followed up that brief NPB stint with a return to North American baseball, via a minor league deal with the Nats that eventually led to a big league call-up. With 26 2/3 innings of 4.39 ERA ball with Washington, Nolin banked his first Major League action since way back in 2015, when he pitched for the A’s. Once a notable prospect in the Blue Jays farm system, Nolin pitched 31 1/3 MLB innings from 2013-15 before injuries waylaid his career, including a Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for all of the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

Over 670 1/3 career frames in the minors with six different big league organizations, Nolin has a solid 3.48 ERA and 24.11% strikeout rate. He has worked as both a starter and a reliever, giving the Lions some flexibility in how they might deploy him on their 2022 roster.

Robert Stock Signs With KBO’s Doosan Bears

By TC Zencka | January 4, 2022 at 7:21pm CDT

Free-agent Robert Stock will sign with the Doosan Bears of the KBO for $500K in guaranteed money over one year. He can earn an additional $200K in incentives, per Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News (via Twitter).

News first broke of Stock’s potential signing on New Year’s Day. As noted in this initial write-up from MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald, Stock posted solid numbers in Triple-A with the Cubs and Mets last season, though he was slowed by injuries.

In his fourth consecutive season seeing time in the bigs, Stock made three starts in the Majors, one for the Cubs, and a pair with the Mets. In Triple-A, however, he managed to post a very good strikeout rate of 26.2% and an acceptable walk rate of 8.1%, as well as an overall 3.57 ERA over 35 1/3 innings.

Stock has mostly been a reliever throughout his career. His three starts this season were his first in 55 games of big-league experience. Even in the minors, he has just 13 career starts. The 32-year-old seems likeliest to pitch out of the bullpen for the Bears, though he wouldn’t be the first player to re-invent himself upon arrival in the KBO. That said, the Bears reportedly like Stock’s big arm, with a fastball that averaged more than 96 mph and the ability to hit triple digits.

Robert Stock Close To Signing With KBO’s Doosan Bears

By Darragh McDonald | January 1, 2022 at 7:47pm CDT

Right-handed pitcher Robert Stock is close to signing with the Doosan Bears of the Korea Baseball Organization, reports Daniel Kim, relaying information from Korean media organizations. He says that there is no official deal just yet but that it “sounds close”.

Stock was selected by St. Louis in the second round of the 2009 draft but didn’t make his MLB debut until 2018, spending time in the organizations of the Cardinals, Pirates and Reds before finally making it to the show with the Padres. In addition to the Padres, Stock has seen some MLB action with the Red Sox, Cubs and Mets over the past four seasons. (He was also claimed by the Phillies after the 2019 season but was designated for assignment before the 2020 season began.) He has 72 2/3 MLB innings under his belt, with an ERA of 4.71, strikeout rate of 23.1% and walk rate of 12.2%.

In 2021, he was only able to throw nine total innings in the big leagues over three starts, putting up an ERA of 8.00. But in 35 1/3 Triple-A innings, he had a 3.57 ERA, along with a very good strikeout rate of 26.2% and walk rate of 8.1%. He was with the Mets when a hamstring strain landed him on the IL in July, an injury that ended his season. He was outrighted off the roster in October and elected free agency.

After years off bouncing from team to team and from the minors to the majors, Stock, 32, now seems to be heading for a job in Korea that will likely provide him more regular playing time and better pay than he would have received with another season as a journeyman in North America. If he is able to thrive in this new opportunity, he could always return to MLB with increased interest from clubs, as many other have done in recent years. As mentioned by Kim, the Bears signed Chris Flexen a couple of years ago, who pitched well enough to garner a two-year contract from the Mariners prior to the 2021 season.

KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes Re-Sign Eric Jokisch

By Darragh McDonald | December 30, 2021 at 9:11am CDT

The Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization have re-signed lefty Eric Jokisch, per Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News. The 32-year-old will make $1.3MM.

The southpaw has 14 1/3 innings of MLB experience, which came with the Cubs back in 2014. He had an ERA of 1.88 in that stint, but then bounced around the minors for the next four years without being given another shot at the big league level. He signed with the Heroes prior to the 2019 season and recently completed his third straight excellent campaign.

In 2019, he made 30 starts, throwing 180 1/3 innings with an ERA of 3.13. In 2020, in 159 2/3 innings over 27 starts, his ERA dropped all the way down to 2.14. His 18% strikeout rate was a bit low, but he succeeded largely because of his incredible groundball rate of 71.9%. After that excellent season, it was rumored that he was considering a return to MLB. However, he ended up re-signing with the Heroes.

In 2021, he made 31 more starts, logging 181 1/3 innings with an ERA of 2.93. Once again, his meager strikeout rate of 17.7% was offset by an incredible groundball rate, this time reaching an amazing 75.9%. As noted by Yoo, over the past three years, Jokisch leads the KBO in ERA and is third in both wins and innings. He’ll now look to build on that tremendous three-year run by suiting up for the Heroes for a fourth season.

KBO’s KT Wiz Re-Sign Odrisamer Despaigne, William Cuevas

By Anthony Franco | December 29, 2021 at 7:50pm CDT

The KT Wiz of the Korea Baseball Organization announced they’ve re-signed pitchers Odrisamer Despaigne and William Cuevas. Despaigne signed a one-year deal worth $1.1MM that comes with an additional $250K in possible incentives; Cuevas inked a one-year, $1MM guarantee with $100K available in incentives (h/t to Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap). Despaigne is represented by Charisse Dash of QC Sports.

This will be Despaigne’s third season with the Wiz, as he originally joined the franchise in advance of the 2020 campaign. He posted a 4.33 ERA across 207 2/3 innings that season, then re-upped on another deal last winter. The Cuba native pitched 188 2/3 frames in 2021, working to a 3.39 ERA with a 20.1% strikeout percentage and a 9.5% walk rate. That reliable production over a heavy workload impressed the Suwon-based club’s front office enough to bring him back for another year.

Despaigne, who turns 35 in April, is better known in the U.S. for his time in the big leagues, which spanned 2014-19. The bulk of that work came over his first two seasons, as Despaigne started 34 of 50 appearances with the Padres from 2014-15. His rookie campaign featured 96 1/3 frames with a 3.36 ERA and a very strong 52.1% ground-ball rate, but Despaigne couldn’t build off that solid debut showing. After two seasons in San Diego, the right-hander bounced between the Orioles, Marlins, Angels and White Sox. He’s made 109 MLB appearances (including 50 starts) and owns a 5.11 ERA over 363 major league innings.

Cuevas is back for a fourth year with the Wiz. The Venezuela native has been a capable rotation arm, tossing 140+ innings with an ERA around 4.00 in each of his first three years. That includes a 3.91 mark over 140 1/3 frames this past season, a year that saw Cuevas punch out 24% of opponents against an 8.9% walk rate. Before making the jump to South Korea, the 31-year-old spent time with the Red Sox and Tigers. He made 13 MLB appearances between 2016-18, working 22 1/3 innings of 8.06 ERA ball.

Byung-ho Park Signs With KBO’s KT Wiz

By Anthony Franco | December 28, 2021 at 8:54pm CDT

First baseman Byung-ho Park has signed with the KT Wiz of the Korea Baseball Organization, the team announced. It’s a three-year deal that’ll pay him $2.5MM (h/t to Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap).

Park, 35, has spent the bulk of his professional career in South Korea. He broke in as an 18-year-old in 2005 and spent his first few seasons with the LG Twins. By 2011, he’d moved to the Nexen Heroes and quickly emerged as a middle-of-the-order masher. He posted an OPS above 1.000 in each season from 2013-15, blasting 50+ home runs in each of the latter two years of that run.

While that stretch marked the best few years of Park’s career, he’s better known in the United States for his stint with the Minnesota Twins. After the 2015 campaign, the Heroes made the right-handed hitter available to big league clubs via the posting system. At that time, the posting process involved blind bidding for the right to negotiate with the player. (The most recent CBA completely changed the system, and the posting fee is now determined as a percentage of the player’s contract).

The Twins won the bidding by paying a $12.85MM posting fee to the Heroes, giving them a month’s window of exclusive negotiation to hammer out a deal with Park. They eventually agreed upon a four-year, $12MM deal that brought the Twins’ total outlay just under $25MM in hopes of adding an impact bat to the lineup.

Unfortunately for Park and the Twins, that proved not to be the case. He struggled to a .191/.275/.409 line over 244 MLB plate appearances in 2016, punching out at an alarming 32.8% clip. The Twins outrighted him off the 40-man roster that offseason, and he spent the entire 2017 campaign in Triple-A. At the end of that second season, Park requested and was granted his release to return to his home country, with contemporary reports indicating he forewent some or all of his remaining guaranteed money from Minnesota to do so.

Park has spent the past four seasons with the Heroes, mashing over the first two years before enduring an offensive dip in each of the past two campaigns. He’s coming off a .229/.322/.433 showing that’s his least productive in the KBO in over a decade. He’ll now make the jump to his third KBO organization, leaving the Heroes to sign with the Wiz.

Quick Hits: Pirates, Robinson, De La Cruz, NPB/KBO Signings

By Mark Polishuk | December 28, 2021 at 7:15pm CDT

The Pirates hired Dewey Robinson as their new special advisor for pitching development, coaching and player development last week (John Dreker of Pirates Prospects was the first to report the news). Robinson played three seasons with the White Sox from 1979-81, then embarked on a long coaching career that has included stints as the White Sox bullpen coach in 1993-94 and the Astros’ pitching coach in 2008-09. Robinson also has extensive experience working at the minor league level as a coach and instructor, and has spent the last 12 years working with the Rays, serving as the club’s director of pitching development over the last two seasons.

This time in Tampa Bay overlaps with Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton’s six years as the Rays’ hitting coach, so Shelton and Robinson very likely already have a prior connection. In the bigger picture, Robinson becomes the latest in a long line of former Rays executives, coaches, and staffers poached by other organizations looking to replicate Tampa’s success at developing young talent (and young pitching in particular). The rebuilding Pirates have a particular need for arms, as while GM Ben Cherington has done a good job of restocking the farm system during his two-plus years in Pittsburgh, position players make up the majority of the Bucs’ top prospects.

Headlines

Korea Baseball Organization

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect