The Kia Tigers of the Korea Baseball Organization have released right-hander Adonis Medina, per Yoo Jee-ho of Yonhap News Agency. Right-hander Mario Sanchez will replace Medina, per CPBL Stats.
Medina, 26, pitched in 10 MLB games over the 2020-2022 period with the Phillies and Mets. He had a 5.35 ERA in that time and was outrighted off the Mets’ roster in September. He headed to Korea this year to join the Tigers but it didn’t go especially well. He posted a 6.05 ERA in 58 innings over 12 starts. He struck out just 13.9% of batters faced while walking 10.8%. KBO teams are only allowed three roster spots for non-Korean players and the Tigers have apparently decided to go in a different direction with one of theirs.
Sanchez, 28, will be the beneficiary of the move. He began the year with the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions in the Chinese Professional Baseball League of Taiwan. He made 10 appearances for the Lions, nine starts, with a 1.44 ERA in 62 2/3 innings. He only struck out 17.4% of opponents but kept his walks down to a tiny 4.6% rate. Those strong results will get him an opportunity to showcase himself in the KBO.
Sanchez doesn’t have major league experience but did spend many years in affiliated ball. Initially a prospect with the Nationals, he went to the Phillies as the played to be named later in the 2016 trade that sent Jimmy Cordero to Washington. He never made it past Double-A with the Phils, then returned to the Nats in a minor league capacity. He topped out at Triple-A with the Nats and also the Twins in recent years before heading to Taiwan this season.
