On this file picture, San Diego Padres pitcher Go Woo-suk throws a ball throughout a exercise at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, previous to the Padres’ recreation towards the Los Angeles Dodgers to open the 2024 Main League Baseball season, Mar. 19, 2024. Yonhap
When Korea holds coaching camp subsequent month to organize for the World Baseball Traditional (WBC) in spring, those that plied their commerce abroad this 12 months can be welcome to hitch, a nationwide crew official mentioned Friday.
In keeping with the official, Go Woo-suk, who’s on the lookout for a brand new contract after splitting the 2025 marketing campaign within the minor leagues for 2 completely different associates, is one such participant.
The Korea Baseball Group (KBO) introduced a 29-man coaching camp roster on Dec. 3, with supervisor Ryu Ji-hyun’s nationwide crew scheduled to work out in Saipan from Jan. 9 to 21.
Each participant on the record performed within the KBO in 2025, however one participant, infielder Tune Sung-mun, has since signed with the San Diego Padres. Tune’s availability for camp and likewise for the WBC, set for March 5-17, stays a query mark, with Tune and his new crew nonetheless discussing his standing. After becoming a member of the Padres earlier this week, Tune mentioned he expects a choice from the Padres brass earlier than the Saipan camp.
Go has extra freedom to hitch the nationwide crew camp, at the very least in the interim, after getting launched by the Detroit Tigers in November.
Go signed a two-year cope with the Padres in January 2024, however he began the season within the minors and by no means reached Main League Baseball (MLB) earlier than the Padres dealt him to the Miami Marlins.
The Marlins launched Go in June, and the Tigers quickly inked him to a minor league deal. Go as soon as once more didn’t earn a call-up to the majors after making 14 appearances for the Tigers’ Triple-A crew in Toledo, Ohio.
Go is looking for one other alternative in the USA relatively than a return to his unique KBO membership, the LG Twins.
Go, one of many prime closers within the KBO throughout his time with the Twins, has a 5.61 ERA in 76 profession U.S. minor league video games protecting 94 2/3 innings. Regardless of Go’s mediocre numbers, the nationwide crew right here nonetheless believes the right-hander generally is a invaluable bullpen piece.
“It is nonetheless untimely to speak about selecting Go Woo-suk for the WBC, however he’s a participant that may assist the nationwide crew,” the official mentioned. “If he desires to, he can come to our camp. We organized this camp to assist gamers prepare for the match that begins earlier than the common season (in KBO and MLB).”
Three Korean gamers ended the 2025 MLB season on massive league rosters: Kim Ha-seong of the Atlanta Braves, Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants and Kim Hye-seong of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The primary two on this record will probably skip the Saipan camp and be part of the nationwide crew for the WBC if given the inexperienced mild from their golf equipment. Kim Hye-seong mentioned earlier this month that he had already requested the Dodgers for permission to play on the WBC and that he hoped the membership would additionally let him take part within the Saipan camp.
